Life of the Snow
by Tritessa Malaise
Summary: Aisugakure's Princess has been the target of recent assassination attempts. Her royal adviser has deemed it necessary to send her far away for her own protection, asking Sunagakure and their Kazekage to take her in and protect her. But everything surrounding this Princess is a lie, and she puts the very lives of Suna's people in danger.
1. Dear Kazekage

"Kazeku!" a female voice screamed at the top of their lungs, their electric blue eyes as wide as they could possibly go. Before them, pinned under a dagger's blade, was a young man with black hair and pale skin. He seemed normal for all intensive purposes except for the large crimson stain at their abdomen surrounding the blade.

An older man who looked to be in his early to late thirties ran into the large, master bedroom that the girl had called out from. He was disheveled having woken up from a dead sleep and his grey eyes were showing his tired state. "What's wrong Princess!?" he asked in a panic before even seeing the dead body.

Taking the time to actually absorb the scene before him, Kazeku saw the body of a young man, possibly in his early twenties, lying on the wooden floor of the bedroom. Even with his spirit at eternal rest, the man's features were hardened and chiseled with short, spiky black hair atop his head. His skin was pale, but nothing in comparison to that of the Princess that hunched over his body. Still clutching a kunai in his cold hand, a dagger jutted from his stomach where it looked like she had impaled him. Blood pooled around the blade and under his body, staining his clothes and the wood. Tearing his eyes from the dead boy, he looked to the seemingly terrified Princess. Her hands still clutched desperately to the hilt of the dagger; her knuckles white from how tight she gripped it. Her long pale, platinum blonde hair fell over a shoulder but because it was put up in a messy ponytail it didn't dip into the blood. Icy, blue eyes sat wide and looked to be filled with horror at having just killed a man, turning pink and puffy as she tried to hold back tears.

The dagger itself was nothing special, a simple silver blade and black handle but compared to the ornate pastel blue night dress she wore it stood out like a sore thumb. Same was said of the red speckles of blood that littered her clothing. Walking over to the Princess calmly, he wrapped his arms around her, touching her shoulders gently. Feeling her tense body calm the slightest bit he wrapped his hands around her and helped her release the dagger. The moment she let go, she flung herself into his chest and sobbed loudly grabbing the attention of guards. They made their way into her room and seemed shocked by what they saw.

"Remove this assassin's body," Kazeku ordered without looking up from consoling the Princess.

"Yes sir!" the Lieutenant answered with a rigid salute. He and a few of his men picked up the body and walked out, leaving the Princess and Kazeku alone.

Looking down at her, he noticed she seemed to have fallen asleep through her crying fit. Still covered in drops of blood, he picked her up and gently placed her into her bed, covering her with the blankets. Closing the door as he left her room, his face once full of concern, now replaced with serious annoyance. That woman would do nothing but bring about their clan's destruction! Why was she chosen to lead them? Catching up with the group of guards taking the body away he stopped one of them that was trailing a little behind the rest.

"Son, a moment of your time," he said as he placed a hand upon the young man's shoulder.

He turned and looked at Kazeku with confusion, "Sir?" he blinked as he was lead astray by the older man.

"I want that body taken to my office. He may be dead but he may also hold valuable information about who was trying to assassinate the Princess," he said firmly, giving the young soldier a hard glare to match his voice.

"But sir," the soldier clad in silver armor looked befuddled, "Sir, I thought you told us to-"

"I know what I said!" Kazeku shouted at the boy's impudence. "Listen to what I'm telling you now. You want to protect the Princess correct?" The young soldier nodded vigorously. "That's what I thought. Good man! Now do as I say," he said padding the boy on the back and walking away.

His brown hair was barely visible in the nightly blizzard surrounding their castle. Weather such as that was quite common in the high mountains, so close to the clouds you could practically taste them; and they did taste wonderful. Although in the confines of the castle, the cold and sound barely broke through the walls, leaving the long, dark halls warm and silent. Through each window though, you could see the blanket of white that covered them like a silent sweep of a master swordsman. Kazeku walked into his large room and sat at the desk that sat in the furthest corner. Lighting a lantern so he could see, he picked up a pen to start writing on a piece of paper that lay in the middle of the refined wood.

_Dear Kazekage…_

* * *

The sun pounded away at the desert village, unrelenting and harsh; like always. But the people were used to it; they grew up with such weather and didn't really know anything different. They weren't adverse to other climates; they just knew how to survive better in the harsh environment that was the sand. This particular day seemed to be the hottest yet! A supposed spring to have the couples dancing in the streets and yet, all that lay in the streets were quiet people and billowing sand. Just to the west, their sister village Konoha had a festival for the couples in their village. To celebrate the holiday that only couples could celebrate! Some from Suna had attended, if not for the company then all the games and food.

Many people had attended the celebration, even big figures heads such as Temari and Kankuro from Suna. The Sand Siblings tried to get their youngest brother to attend with them, to have some fun, even the young man's one and only best friend Naruto tried. Every attempt failed miserably. Every time the Kazekage had simply sighed and said he had far too much work to do to be attending to ridiculous party. Needless to say all of them were just a little bummed by this fact. They all just wanted him to experience life now! He was no longer a human sacrifice, he deserved to live his life how he saw it and not be tied down to titles! Forever the isolationist.

Speaking of his mounds and mounds of paperwork, the Kazekage, seventeen year old Gaara, gave a heavy sigh of discontent and pushed the paper before him away. Running a tan hand through his messy red hair he took a moment to sit back and stretch his rigid body. Sitting for hours on end was indeed no way to live his new life granted to him. Rubbing the bridge of his nose in exhaustion he got up from his chair to walk around his office a moment and relax his mind. Walking to one of the large windows, he crossed his arms and leaned against the frame staring down at the people going about their lives. He wondered what it was like to be a regular person without the fate of so many people hanging from your shoulders. Not that he wouldn't give his life for them, it was just hard to handle some times.

Closing his sleep deprived eyes for a moment, he couldn't help but wonder if his life would ever become normal. Would he learn to sleep and relax? Learn to interact with people on a friendlier basis perhaps? He wouldn't lie, it was awkward for him to be friendly and warm towards a person. Being anywhere close to Naruto's position was almost impossible! Was it even possible for him to be that trusting and genuine to a person?

"Kazekage sir!" a young woman shouted, dressed in a gross green vest and black pants.

Slowly Gaara turned at the urgency in the young woman's voice. She was a plain Jane of sorts, sand brown hair, darker than chocolate brown eyes and a light tan to her skin; normal in many ways. "What is it Matsuri?"

She couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks when he spoke her name. She stopped, bowed respectively and held out a piece of paper. "We received some kind of urgent message from a village far…far north."

Walking over to the girl, he took the note from her and dismissed her in the process. Turning his back to the door, he opened the letter and read over the contents. His brow furrowed and he reread what was written to him. Could this be right? Was this some kind of joke brought on by his siblings? The only way to know for sure was so respond to the letter. Setting the script aside on his desk, he sat down and cleared a space for him to write his response.

_Dear Kazekage,_

_ I know you know not of me or the village with which I represent, but my name is Kazeku of Aisugakure. I am the royal advisor to our Princess, Setsuko Ayani. As of recently our dear Princess has come under attack of assassins and although we are doing all we can to find who is behind the attacks, we feel she would be best kept elsewhere. Particularly somewhere far, far away from our village. In the recent days, Princess Setsuko has undergone a horrible ordeal having to take it upon herself to kill a would be assassin with her own hands. Needless to say she is very troubled by this event as she has never raised a blade in her life. The royal court feels it best for her to, relax a bit, and stay safe while we figure out things here. If you do accept our plea, please don't bring up the incident with Princess Setsuko; it's a very touchy one._

_ Royal Advisor Kazeku Banki _


	2. On the Move

**A/N: Maki's name is pronounced maw-key**

**Hui's name is pronounced hue**

* * *

There was an echoing howl of frustration through the long empty halls of the icy palace of Aisugakure. Heels clacked along the marble floors and anger as they stormed around the throne room of the giant palace; their crystal blue glass glimmered in the sunlight as they moved around the room. Pale arms moved around wildly as the slim body they were attached to grumbled to themselves under their breath. A floor length light sky blue dress, with a slightly darker blue trim, glided along the glassy surface of the floor as the body continued to walk around in circles angrily; with each step the glittering toe of their heels poked out from under the dress. They couldn't believe what was happening right! How could Kazeku do this to them?!

"Princess?" a young man clad in the royal guards armor inquired softly.

The Princess whirled around quickly with a look of seething anger on her normally beautiful face, "What?!" Seeing the face of the guard her look changed almost immediately. "Maki…" she breathed happily, rushing to the young man.

The man in question wasn't extraordinary in any significant way on the outside. He was a foot taller than the young Princess, making him 192 centimeters, and he surly towered over her. His eyes were a deep, deep blue, like sapphires while his surprisingly black hair was short and messy, all the time. It seemed no matter what he tried to do with his hair it never wanted to obey. The parts of his body that weren't covered in silver armor you could tell where well defined from years of training to make sure he would always do his best at protecting the Princess. She slammed against his armor, her white crown echoing against the metal but she paid no heed as she embraced him. At first, he was taken back by this action as it was unbecoming of someone of her high stature to do but, half a second later he smiled down at her.

"Setsuko…" he sighed happily returning her embrace.

Without letting him go her happily closed eyes opened, looking out the nearby window solemnly, "Kazeku told you the news I suppose."

An armored hand rested against the back of her head gently, "He did."

"I guess this is goodbye right?" she asked, tears beginning to well in her glassy eyes.

She could feel his grip tighten around her slightly, "…No, actually I was just here to tell you that Kazeku is on his way."

Setsuko's eyes widened, blinking the tears away and looked up at him and his cheerfully sheepish grin. She glared darkly at him, "Sneaking a touch of the royal body are you then Maki?"

"Wh-What?" he asked quickly removing his hands from her and slowly, very slowly, trying to inch away from her. "I…I have no idea what you're talking about your Majesty."

"I see your game Maki," she hissed as she pushed up a bell sleeve of her dress. "Trying to get fresh with the Princess is a serious crime you know."

A scared grin was plastered on his face as he was half way out the door, "It was nice seeing you Princess," he said as he slipped out of the throne room.

"Maki!" she shouted throwing a nearby painting from the wall at his direction just as her royal advisor Kazeku entered the room.

The painting hit the older man in the face causing an exasperated groan from the man, "Princess Setsuko! This is no way for a young woman of your standing to behave!" he scolded.

"Oh please! He deserved it," she scoffed angrily shooting her advisor a glare before turning her back and walking towards the giant chair in the center of the room.

"Why do you put up with him?" he asked with a sigh, putting the painting back on the wall.

She gracefully sat down, "Sometimes I wonder such things myself." Huffing a pout, she looked over at the annoying killjoy, "What do you even want Kazeku?"

Swiftly he spun around to face her, a look of a stern, disapproving parent on his face, "Setsuko Ayani! You are the Princess of our village, show a little more dignity and grace when you speak to people! You are the figure head of our nation, when people see you they are supposed to know what it means to be from Aisugakure. Now act like it!"

The young Princess couldn't help but sink back in her seat, staring at the floor pouting. Of course he was right, but it's not like she ever asked to be Princess. Glancing in Kazeku's direction she saw that his look hadn't waivered at all. He was definitely adamant about his view of what she stood for, she had to give him that much. Looking back down at the floor she thought about his words and their many meanings. Stern lashing like this was normal for her; she was only eighteen, still learning what it meant to fill such a large role. The people in her village, they looked up to her not just as a figure to rule them, but as a symbol. To them, she was a symbol of hope to look to the future. She sat up straight, regained her royal composure and sighed softly to herself; he was always right.

"I'm sorry Kazeku. Forgive my temper, it's just I've been out of sorts lately with this whole idea," she answered calmly, looking him straight in the eye.

His rigid frame visibly loosened, "I understand Princess but this is something we have to do, for your safety." He made his way towards the throne as he spoke, "With these frequent assassination attempts mounting, we need to have you moved to a place where they would never look. What better place then a desert?" He towered over her from her sitting position.

She stood quickly and gracefully causing him to quickly take a few steps back, "These attempts on my life are absurd! I've never done anything to warrant such behavior," she sighed heavily and turned from him with a disheartened look upon her soft features. "All the things I've done, they were for the people. I've only ever had their well being in mind."

"You know how some people can be your Majesty." Kazeku placed a gentle hand on Setsuko's shoulder, "Some hold a grudge no matter what. Jealous of the position some were afforded in life."

She pushed away his hand, turning to face him, "No! It's not fair to me or the people if I run away! They need me and what would it say of me if I were to just disappear when I am needed? I can't abandon them." Her hands were clenched into fists as she glared up at him, firmly planted in her belief.

He put his hands up as a way of making himself vulnerable, "I understand your side Princess but wouldn't it be worse if you were hurt? Or worse, if one of these assassins succeeded?"

"I…" she trailed off thinking about what he just asked. Her squared shoulders dropped a little, her demeanor changing to a sad and unguarded one. "I do suppose you're right. But how can I help the people all the way from a desert?!" she asked turning back to him.

"My Lady, we will tell you of the things going on here so you can rule your people as you have for so many years," he reassured her.

Her head dropped, beautifully done pale blonde hair curtained her face, "When do I leave?"

"Tonight my Princess. In the dark of the new moon, some things have already been packed for you and an outfit laid out for your journey," he said, placing a hand against her back and walking with her out of the throne room.

Setsuko walked through the giant French doors to her bedroom, her face showing all the despair she felt currently. Sure, she kind of understood the logic behind Kazeku's plan but these were her people, her village, her clan. She could never just abandon them, especially when people were trying to kill her. They expected her to stand tall and face the threat head on. They would think she were a coward if they found out she was running away. Her eyes shut tight and she exhaled a sigh of discontent. How could she just run away from everyone? Flopping onto her bed, she looked over to see her packed trunk near the door. Glancing up further she saw the outfit Kazeku had mentioned. Silently she stood from her bed, her keels the only echoing sound against the icy marble floors. Her glassy eyes looked upon the black fabric, running her fingers along the fine silk. A simple but ornate kimono. All was black except for the large black sash with floral print and the dark, forest green belt to tie everything together.

Dressing out of her royal dress, she put the new dress together on her own. For a Princess, she was rather independent, something Kazeku hated about her. Her blue heels discarded for silent black flats, she walked to the full body mirror set up in her room next to a large window. Running her hands down her hips to help straighten and pull everything into place, she looked up taking note of the long sleeves that came to a point at the back of hands. Her small waist was far more visible with the belt tied around her; her fingers absentmindedly played through the long silk as she admired the adorable simplicity of it. She had never been one for fancy things anyways; this suited her much better.

Turning from her reflection, she fell against the window frame lazily as she sat in the built in bench that was at her window. The silk pillows helped prop up her back and the cushion of the seat was soft enough that her legs wouldn't go numb from sitting too long. Placing one leg over the other as she turned to look out the window, she sighed to herself. A light snowfall was happening outside, covering their already white land in a new fresh covering. No matter how many times she saw it, the falling snow was always so beautiful and calming. To her, it seemed that it melted away all her fears which was ironic given its freeze properties. A mischievous grin crawled across her face as she looked away from the window and into her room. Rubbing her fingers together, the air around them seemed to drastically begin to drop as her breath was now able to be seen. Sitting up straight, facing her room, she rolled her hands over each other, never touching skin and watched as a snowball was formed between them. Smiling big once it was formed, she threw it into the air watching as it exploded into her own personal snowfall.

Getting up and dancing under the flurry that now fell from her ceiling, she giggled and twirled around happily. She may have been a Princess on the outside, but she didn't have to play one behind the closed doors of her room. Touching her hands to the nearest wall, she watched as frost sprung to life from beneath her hands and quickly cover the entire room. Playing in the snow like a child, she built snowmen and threw snowballs at no one but the objects in her room. Her squeals of joy were heard by the young guard standing watch over her room, Maki, who couldn't help the smile that came to his face hearing her.

However, soon her joy turned to caution as she heard a knock at her door and someone trying to come in, muttering about the door being stuck. Looking around the room, she cringed knowing what Kazeku would say if he saw. Quickly rushing to the door, tripping in the snow as she did so, melted ice covering the door and opened it slowly, poking her head out. It was none other than Hui, Captain of the royal army. Her long white hair almost seemed to melt into the silver helmet adorning her head, while her blue eyes were piercing and serious. She was also taller than the Princess, but only by about three inches and even though it was tough to see, Setsuko knew she was toned and in great shape. Hui took her job very seriously and trained relentlessly to get to her current position.

Looking around Setsuko took note of the fact Maki was no longer standing at his post, "Where's Maki?"

"I sent him to patrol another sector of the palace," Hui replied, her voice was gruff but feminine. The Captain gave her an accusatory glare, "Princess, why is there snow powder in your hair?"

"Uh…" she quickly tousled her hair to get rid of the snow and looked back up at the scary woman. "That is a very good question. And…I have a very good answer for you!" she paused a moment to think of this 'very good answer' she had. "Oh! Yes, I opened my window to let in some fresh air and it seems that some snow got into my room."

"My Lady! Given the circumstances that if a very dangerous move. Someone could have easily killed you!" she stated, concern laced with her stern disapproval.

Setsuko smiled, "Fair point you make! Now, why are you here Hui?" she asked, her fingers moving with each inflection made.

"It's time Princess," Hui said matter of factly.

"Oh, uhm…" she trailed off looking over her shoulder at her snow covered room. "Can you give me just one moment I…I wish to have a moment alone seeing as I will be leaving for a long time."

Hui bowed respectively, "Of course my Princess."

Closing the door softly, Setsuko turned to her room, back leaning against the door. She had to leave now. Who knew how long it would be before she was able to come back. Walking back towards her large window she undid the brass clasp that held it shut and opened it, allowing the sweet song of the snowy wind to sing to her one last time. She smiled blissfully and leaned against the ledge of the window, wishing she could stay longer. There was a distant cry from the sky and she let her eyes travel up. At first, she couldn't make out what made the sound, but hearing it again, closer, she knew. Her eyes brightened as she saw the large, white frost falcon descending towards her. Sitting up, she let the bird perch on the ledge, watching as it ruffled its feathers a bit and look up at her.

"Yuu!" she exclaimed happily, running a finger down the birds feathers.

It gave a sweet purr of affection and nuzzled into her hand.

"Oh, I missed you too." Her eyes seemed to sadden as she continued to touch the snowy feathers of the bird. "I will continue to miss you my friend. I have to leave and have no idea when I may return."

Yuu looked up at her, its neck jerking quickly as it listened to her speak sadly. It cawed in response, hopping closer to her.

"Don't do that. It will only make this a harder goodbye than it already is," she sighed as she placed her arm out towards the snowy bird.

Without hesitating Yuu perched on her arm and cawed again, this time softer.

Extending her arm out the window, Yuu flapped its wings furiously for take off before balancing out and gliding in circles around her window, "Goodbye my friend! We will meet again I promise."

With one last shriek from Yuu, Setsuko dissipated all the snow in her room and slowly shut her window. Latching the window she sighed softly, her head hung low. Opening her door, two guards came in to carry her packed trunk as she walked out, Hui walking close beside her. Looking down at the young Princess, the Capitan of the guards noticed how downtrodden she looked and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Although Hui never looked the part, she was actually a very passionate and caring person; willing to give her life for the people and the things she believed in. Setsuko looked up from the floor, seeing a smile sent her way by the normally stoic and harden Captain. She returned the kindness and looked onward, finding a new sense of pride in what she was doing.


	3. The Majestic Eagle

The sun was just rising as a new day came upon them. Crows squawked in response to their suddenly disturbed sleep. A morning wind blew sand into a new position and all was quiet. People weren't even up yet. The sun rose above Suna so early given their location. Yet the only one to be truly awake through the night was their ever vigilant Kazekage Gaara. To think that just a few years ago he would have been okay with slaughtering every last one of them. Now though, he would do anything to protect them and Suna's people knew that because he did give it all for them; his life, just as he promised. Having taken a break from his massive amounts of paperwork he watched the sun rise. It was always a peaceful experience for him. Everything could be forgotten if for only a moment. That one moment to escape meant a lot to him.

His sea foam green eyes glittered in the sunlight, squinting just a little to compensate for the brightness that overloaded his visual senses. There was a small part of him that missed the voice in his head; it was a new experience for him. Even though the voice was always murderous, at least it was someone to talk to in the wee mornings. Maybe Temari was right; he did need someone other then his own company. He sighed as he stood up, that was a scary thought. If he was saying Temari was right then something must be truly wrong with him.

Reaching his office by hopping the rooftops, he jumped through one of the windows in his office. Setting the large gourd he usually had strapped to his back against the wall, he put on his Kage robes and sat down in his chair. Staring at the mountain before him, he seriously debated playing hooky from his job which was unusual for him. Sighing heavily he reached for the first of many letters and forms, about to read it when his eye wandered to the letter that had been sent to him just two days before. It was a response to his own response letter about the first. It had been sent quite hastily considering the distance this Kazeku had said was between their villages. Closing his eyes, he sighed again. This supposed Princess would be arriving any day now and he didn't even know what she looked like, but he had agreed because the situation did seem urgent enough. The request however was, strange, to say the least.

For hours he worked and worked as people were getting up and ready for their days. His siblings were wide awake two hours into his paperwork, he only knew this because both had popped in fully dressed and awake. Although he knew his siblings were not morning people, especially Temari; she was actually terrifying if woken up unnecessarily. Four more hours passed and now pretty much everyone had reported for their respective duties. He had already sent four teams out on missions and been given more paperwork. This was his life now. All he did was sit and order people around instead of doing it in the field. He knew though, that it was only a matter of time before Naruto did something so reckless that he would either be summoned by Tsunade or have to rescue his hide for the hundredth time; not that he truly minded. He enjoyed seeing his friend.

He heard a tremble from the gourd against the wall. Maybe he was itching to get back out in the field too much. Although it hasn't been that long since he was raised from the dead. The need to take things slow and easy was indeed called for, at the moment. He was a very cautious person before being kidnapped, but had become even more so after the fact. The thought of what happened left a bad taste in his mouth and he pushed away the thoughts. As he did this, the trembling stopped and the room was once again quiet. Not too long after he heard some commotion outside of his doors; it sounded like an angry woman was shouting at his subordinates. Looking at the door curiously, he didn't even flinch when it burst open suddenly.

Standing before him was woman of average height but looked taller from the way she carried herself. She had white hair as evident by the few strands that fell into her face from under her silver eagle shaped helmet. Her eyes were a shade of blue only reminiscent of the ocean but looked darker because of her hard stare and the scowl she wore. The silver of her breastplate, shoulder, knee and arm guards and her boots shined almost as brightly as the sun as its rays reflected off her. Two large battle axes hung on her back menacingly and an unexpected white, transparent cloth hang from the back of her metal belt giving her armor some kind of elegance to it.

Gaara looked at her a moment with unseen awe, "May I help you?"

"Yes, I believe you can. These people said you were too busy but I see nothing to keep your council from us," she said removing her helmet. The long white braid fell out reaching half way down her calf and her bangs seemed to be a natural mess. Her harsh beauty was something to be noted; very intimidating.

"Us?" he inquired calmly.

She nodded courtly, knowing that she was dealing with a man of power, "I am with Princess Setsuko's envoy."

Gaara placed his hands in front of his lips, his thumbs resting against his jaw, "I was wondering when you would arrive, but I see no Princess with you."

"She is outside with the rest of my team." Holding her helmet under her arm, the clank echoed through the actually quiet office, "I had to make sure everything was okay for her to enter, after all you have been made aware of her situation correct?"

He nodded, "I am and I can assure you, we're not out to harm your Princess."

"As Captain I can't be too careful. I'm sure as a man of power you understand how bodyguards think," she said never once moving from her straight, military stance.

Gaara dropped his hands, leaning forward against his desk, "Understandable. Now what can I do for you?"

"I wish to know the parameters of your agreement," she replied courtly.

"Your Princess will have a room at our inn on the top floor. Guards will be posted at the front door of the inn and two ANBU will be staying undercover on her floor. Is that sufficient Miss…?" he asked, having never been introduced to this all business guard.

"Hui Shai, Captain of the Ice Guard," she bowed respectively to the desert's Kazekage.

He gave her a hard stare, "I find it curious that a captain is leading such a small envoy. Usually they send a group of throwaway soldiers."

"Excuse me sir?" she inquired with an angry twitch of her eye.

"It's simply uncommon that a captain would do such a simple task themselves. Usually giving such a task to foot soldiers," he said again only a different way.

Gently she placed her helmet on his desk and immediately slammed her hands on his desk, glaring at him angrily. "How dare you call my men cannon fodder! You may be a leader but that gives you no right to insult my soldiers. And if you weren't a leader I would slap you for such words."

There was a rattle from the gourd against the wall behind Gaara and his desk, reacting to the obvious threat of attacking its master. Neither of them looked away from each other at the sound. "….Very well. I apologize." The sound stopped at his calm words. "May I do anything else for you?" he asked,

Her anger subsided to an emotionless one, "Yes, when will your plan be implemented?" She stood up straight once again, leaving her helmet on his desk for the moment.

"It already has. I assumed you would be arriving today and already placed my men at their stations," he answered leaning back a little in his chair and sitting up straight.

"Very well. If it is alright with you, I wish to leave a few of my men behind so Princess Setsuko doesn't feel so isolated."

"Hmm…I suppose that's okay but wouldn't it be counterproductive if you leave with a certain amount of soldiers and come back with less? I'm sorry to say but any assassin worth anything will take notice of this instantly."

She took a moment, tapping a metal finger against her chin and thinking about what he pointed out, "Fine. I will leave her in your hands but…." She trailed off placing her hands back on his desk and leaning in very close to the young man, lowering her voice in the a menacing, venomous threat, "If anything happens to her under your watch I will not hesitate to run my blades through you, Gaara of the Sand."

Grabbing her helmet, she quickly wrapped her long braid around itself and placed her helmet on. Turning from him without a word, the white fabric hanging from hips swished and swayed with her hips as she made a swift exit. Gaara watched her leave, an uncommon tiny smile curling at the corner of his lips. She was certainly intimidating; it was no wonder she was the Captain of this Princess' royal guard. As Hui walked through the door she gave it a firm close, letting the loud sound echo and pierce the silence. Outside the door, she gave a soft sigh, held her head up high and without missing a step walked out of the building to meet with her Princess and inform her of the Kazekage's plan. Now that she had checked out the building and the Kazekage, she would allow the Princess to enter on her own.

Gaara got up from his seat and walked over to the window, looking out it and at the convoy at his door. The sparkle from their armor was a dead give away but he could spot Hui out with her ornate helmet. This Aisugakure woman was strange to him. Even in his new position, not many people had the nerve to threaten him in such a manner; and she even knew of his title before becoming the Kazekage. She must be one amazing warrior if she could do such a thing and never once waiver. He had watched her closely, as she threatened him and heard the sand shift aggressively, her body never twitched and her gaze had been deadlocked. As he thought about Hui's bravery he heard a new voice that stood out from the gruff woman and drew his attention.

"Hui! Can I come out now? I've been sitting for days!" Setsuko complain from behind the curtains that blocked her from the view of onlookers.

Gaara watched as Hui opened the curtain and blocked the sight of their Princess, "Yes your Majesty, it's quite safe."

"Fiiiiiiiiinally!" she sighed as she stretched out her back, hearing a pop from her spine. "I thought I was going turn into a statue from all that sitting."

Hui chuckled, "I'm sorry Princess but having you out in the open was too risky."

As Setsuko stretched her stiff body, still dressed in all black, the temperature around her and her soldiers dropped drastically. A few Suna natives walked by and visibly shivered from the cold, "Did you already speak with this Kazekage guy?"

"Your Majesty!" Hui scolded for her improper attitude.

"Sorry, it's just been a really long journey. Four days in that cramped little box was driving me crazy!" she apologized.

"And yet you still know better. Remember my Lady, you represent us all. You have to be the perfect lady at all times." Hui dropped her arm, letting the curtain close.

Setsuko groaned, her shoulders slumped. Hui gave her a look which caused the Princess to roll her eyes before taking in a deep breath and exhaling, standing up straight as she did so, "Okay, okay Hui." With a sweet as candy smile upon her lips, she bowed to her trusted Captain, "Thank you for bringing me here."

Hui and the rest of her small division bowed back, "It was my pleasure your Majesty. Please be safe."

The icy Princess embraced Hui in a tight hug, "That's my line to you. Please, keep Maki safe and tell him goodbye."

"…I promise." With an unnoticeable smile, Hui returned the embrace as if a mother was hugging her child.

The two withdrew from each other and Princess Setsuko watched them leave her all alone in a village she knew nothing about. Sure she knew of the villages in this area, but she didn't know specifics. They never interacted with any of them; Aisugakure was a fairly isolated village. She watched the group leave until their backs were too small to see any longer before turning to the large doors that lead to the Kazekage. Her flats never made a sound as she walked through the doors and made her way to the top of the building. Walking up the many flights, she could feel her heart beat nervously against her chest; something that was new for her. She was used to meeting foreign dignitaries but for some reason she was nervous about this encounter. Could it be because she was all alone here? That was probably it. Back home she was surrounded by her people; people she knew well. Here, she knew no one.

Finally making it to the top, there was a young man sitting at a desk in front of the equally large doors as the front ones. She walked up to the desk, poised and having an air of royalty around her. Clearing her throat, the man looked up at her curiously. She introduced herself and he quickly got up, flustered and opening the doors to the Kazekage's office. She sent him a sweet smile and stood quietly in the room as she doors shut behind her. Looking around the room, she took note of how plain it was compared to her study. Sitting square in the middle of the room was the very man she was here to see. He looked small sitting at his desk, head down showing off his messy, auburn red hair.

Without looking up from the paper he was reading he addressed her, "You're Princess Setsuko I imagine."

"I am," she replied slowly, finding his behavior rude.

"I spoke with your Captain Hui, she seems…protective," he continued after the acknowledgement. Hearing her voice from outside to now was very different; he could hear the drastic change.

Dropping her gaze into an annoyed stoic glare, the temperature in the room dropped in a split second, both of their breaths turning into visible white puffs as they breathed. "She is more intimidating but she does have the best of intentions."

Gaara felt his entire body being taken over by goose bumps at the drop in temperature. Exhaling slowly, he watched as his breath practically turned to ice and then dissipate into the air. He only assumed it was coming from the Princess, "As I told her, everything has been arranged for your stay. But I must ask you a personal question."

"I will only answer such a question if you quit being rude and look at me when you speak to me," she spat, keeping the glare on her face.

"…" Gaara looked up at her and took in her foreign beauty. She was an almost stark contrast to Hui with her pale skin, blonde hair and ice blue eyes. "Forgive me…I am a very busy man."

The glare slowly disappeared from her face, "I understand the demands of running a village, but addressing people properly is also part of representing your position and village."

He smirked, "True enough."

"Please, let me properly introduce myself. I am Princess Setsuko Ayani of Aisugakure, it is my pleasure to meet you Kazekage Gaara," she said with a respectful bow.

Getting up from his seat, he walked over to her and returned the bow, "The pleasure is all mine Princess." He took note of her own smirk he watched cross her red painted lips as he stood back up. "Now, could you please return the temperature to normal? It's rather cold in here."

"Oh! Yes, please forgive me," she said as she complied, the temperature slowly rising back to normal.

Walking past her to the door he opened it, "Please follow me and I will show you where you will be staying."


	4. Secret Weapon

The two teenagers walked a couple of blocks from Gaara's office, never speaking a word to each other. Setsuko hand her hands folded in front of her, her fingers fidgeting together nervously. Every once in a while she would steal a glance at the red headed man that stood a few inches taller then her; she was just shorter than everyone no matter where she went. His type of green eyes were something she had never seen before; a sweet pastel sea color. It was a look that she knew hid the fierce fighter he was. On their way to Suna, Hui had told her some things about Gaara. She was a well traveled and well known ninja herself so she knew many stories. Hui hadn't gone into detail but had told her that he was once a feared mass murder, willing to take the lives of anyone.

She didn't know, but Gaara saw her glance at him every time. She wasn't sneaky about it at all; it was obvious that she wasn't a ninja in any way. Her royal advisor was right, she wasn't the type to have ever raised a blade in her life. How she has survived her assassination attempts so far amazed him. And how she managed to kill one of them amazed him even more! Looking down at her he noticed her fingers fidgeting together and although she held herself well, looked a little nervous. This sort of situation must not be the norm for her. He could understand the unnerving feeling of your life possibly ending at any moment but unlike her, he knew how to handle situations like that.

"Oh!" she spoke up suddenly, earning his attention. "You said you had a personal question for me." She looked up at him, a sweet, childish look upon her face.

As he lead them to the inn where she would be staying, the guards posted at the door acknowledging them and letting them pass he nodded in response, "Yes. Do you actually know what your advisor asked of me?"

Her big blue eyes blinked, brow furrowing curiously, "No, I can't say that I do. All he told me was that he was asking for your help, which I am very grateful for."

"Then maybe it isn't important." He led her up four flights of stairs before walking down a long, long hallway.

"Now that's just not at all fair. Asking me a question, and then saying it's unimportant," she huffed as she followed behind him.

They stopped in front of a door; 417. "Your stuff has already been brought up and the two ANBU will introduce themselves to you sometime today before nightfall. I'm sorry but I have to get back to my work." Swiftly he turned, walking back down the hall after handing her the only key to her room.

"Gaara wait! When are you going to answer my question?" she called after him, never earning so much as a glance from him.

She growled in frustration as the door to the floor closed after him, glaring at the door and sticking her tongue out childishly. Using the key, she opened the door and closed it softly. The room was large, with its own sitting area, small kitchen and doors blocking off what she could only assume was the bedroom. There was a small closet right next to the door and the floors were made of wood and sand. A few small windows let the sunlight illuminate the room and give it an open, airy feeling. The colors however were nothing great, just different shades of brown. Walking through the room, she opened the double doors to the bedroom and saw a large bed sitting in the middle of the decent sized room. To her right there was a single large window with a small desk sitting beside it and to her immediate left there was a narrow hallway that had a large closet on one side and a double vanity on the other. Walking down the hallway, there was a free standing bathtub and a toilet. Simple and clean, just how she liked things.

As she walked back to the bedroom, she saw her trunk placed neatly at the foot of the bed. Unlocking the trunk, she sighed heavily. She didn't like being away from home, and she knew that she would be away for a long time. It had only been a few days and she was already home sick. Rummaging through the trunk, she pulled out a few clothes and lay then neatly on the bed as she got up from the floor. This is going to be a long trip, she thought as she walked back to the bath to run a nice hot bath for herself. Four days in all sorts of different weather and places had made her unpleasant, or at least she thought so.

Slowly she began to remove each piece of clothing and let it drop to the floor without a care. The only upside to being away from home is that she wouldn't have to deal with Kazeku for a while. A smile came to her lips as she thought about it. This was like her own personal vacation, she needed to feel less lonely and cheer up a bit more. Of course, she had never taken a vacation before. What was she supposed to do here? Being in a place she knew nothing about and didn't know the people, it didn't seem like there was actually too much to do. The last article of clothing slipped from her body and she let her fingers touch the water. The temperature wasn't quite right yet. Leaning against the bathroom wall, she watched the tub fill with water still wondering what and where she would go. It seemed to her that the Kazekage expected her to just stay in her room during her stay, he didn't know her and how wrong that assumption was.

Finally the water was the perfect temperature. She stopped the water and slowly got in, feeling the sting of the hot water against her cold skin. Sinking into the water until it stopped just under her nose, she let her body adjust a few more minutes before completely submerging herself. After reemerging for air, she leaned over the side of the tub to look at the soap provided to her. Crossing her arms over the side, she noticed that she had a few bath oils as well. With a light hearted giggle she picked the rose scented one and with a pop, let it flow into the water. Pushing the cork back into the tiny bottle she set it aside and swirled around water around with her fingers to mix it in with the water.

"A good bath can make even the meanest girl happy," she said to herself as she laid back and sighed happily. In the silence of her lonely room, she wondered how Maki was doing since she wasn't able to say goodbye to him.

The smile fell from her features and she stared at the ceiling, the dripping faucet from the tub the only sound she could hear. It wasn't even the end of her first day and she was already lonely. From the looks of Gaara, he wasn't much for keeping company either. In fact he seemed to rather dislike company from how silent he was on their way over here. Which made her wonder what Hui and him talked about that had taken her so long. Another deep, heavy sigh from her lungs and she once again submerged herself into the water.

An hour later she was emerging from the tub, freshly clean. Wrapping a towel around her small body, she wrung out her hair and quickly ran another through it to help it dry. While wet, her long hair looked to reach her hips as it was draped over one shoulder. Taking off her towel she finished drying herself off and put on her undergarments; nothing special, just a soft pastel blue. Picking up the bright white shirt, she slipped it on immediately rolling up the sleeves above her elbows before putting the dark blue skirt on. Making sure the petticoat underneath was straight she grabbed the strapless, dark blue corset with black lace and ties. The hem of the corset covered where the skirt and shirt met, making it look almost like one piece, and she laced it up.

Moments later there was a knock at her door, "Coming!" she called as she got up from the floor with a snowflake shaped comb in her hand. Opening the door as she was brushing her still wet hair, "Hello?"

"Your Majesty," a young man said as he bowed to her. He was almost as tall as Maki, with sun kissed skin and deep green eyes. Long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and his village's headband was wrapped around his neck. "I'm Isamu, one of the ANBU assigned to protect you."

Combing her hair as he spoke, she smiled, "Oh, hello! I'm Princess Setsuko. It's an honor to meet you," she stopped combing her hair and extended her hand.

"No," he paused and shook her hand, "It's my honor to meet you. And I will do my best to keep you safe."

She smiled, "Thank you Isamu. I truly appreciate your bravery."

He bowed one more time and left her. With a smile, she closed her door and went back to combing her hair. Walking to her trunk, she pulled out a red ribbon and quickly put her hair up in a high, messy ponytail. Wrapping her bangs around her fingers to curl them, she let them frame the sides of her face and smiled to herself. She looked fairly unroyal, but still regal. She didn't want to spend all day in this stuffy old room, but there were a few things she needed to take care of such as unpacking. Walking to the large closet she slid open one door and curiously tilted her head to the side when she saw a rather large box leaning upright against the wall inside. Reaching for it, she pulled the large box free, taking not that it was far taller than her. Laying it on the floor she slowly opened the box, pulling the top off and setting it aside. Her eyes widened in shock and her jaw fell open.

Lying inside the plain box was a large, obviously two-handed, sickle. Its staff was a simple dark metal, possibly steel, but the blade was blue and transparent. With a trembling hand she ran her fingers over the metal slowly. How had this gotten here? Kori no Ketsueki. This was the greatest weapon of her village; made from the True Ice that inhabited her land. Her fingertips touched the cold blade and she felt a pulse rush through her as if it recognized her. Withdrawing her touch, she saw a small note folded up inside of the box.

_Princess,_

_ I very well couldn't let you be in a strange place without some protection from home. Plus, this old thing would just collect so much dust in the weapons room. There's also the fact that I was visited by a mysterious ninja a year ago telling me that the Princess is the rightful owner of this weapon. Only she could use it and even royalty needs something to treasure. I wonder where I've heard such words before._

_Hui_

"Ah! She knows!" Setsuko whined with a shocked and nervous look upon her face.

Holding the note to her lips, she thought about what Hui told her. Was she that obvious? It was possible, after all she was never raised to be a fighter, she was raised to be a ruler. Her icy blue eyes shut tight, tears brimming the sides of them as she thought about the way her life had turned out. Mom…Dad…she thought sadly. Is this what you really wanted for me? To be a Princess? she wondered as she slowly removed the letter from her face. Dropping her hands into her lap she hung her head, tear drops falling onto the paper causing the ink to run off the page. Her shoulders trembled and her throat hurt from trying not to cry out loud. She wasn't allowed to show weakness. Kazeku had always told her that a Princess doesn't show emotions of sadness or fear; never let the people see you're weak. Her grip on the paper tightened and she looked up, her eyes glossy from tears.

"What does that old bastard know anyways?" she asked herself, wiping her tears away and placing the letter back in the box.

Putting the top back on the box, she lifted it back into the closet with a mischievous smile on her lips. Turning to her trunk, she began putting the rest of her things away, trying to make the most of her new situation. She was stuck here for a while after all; she had to do her best to make memorable. As she placed a few of her favorite books on the desk she looked out the window at all the people going about their lives. So carefree! Unlocking the window, she leaned out the window, using the sill to hold her up. Closing her eyes, she felt the desert wind brush across her skin and she smiled. This place was different from home but it was possible she could learn to enjoy what little life she would have here.

Maki, I wonder how you're doing back home, she thought as she watched a few kids playing together.


	5. Ice Dragon Appears

Lying on the couch in the living room of her hotel room, Setsuko held a book above her face. Reading each word carefully, she felt a smile creep to her face. A smile always came to her face when she read this book; it was her favorite after all. It was an epic romantic adventure story filled with strange creatures, evil villains and undying love. The story is centered on Keiichi, a young man dreaming of being a renowned warrior. After his parents die tragically in a raid of their village he seeks out a famous soldier by the name White Lightning to train him. He wants his parents to be proud of him and not have their lives mean nothing. On his journey to find White Lightning he meets a thief running away from a dark past and the two fall in love, although at first both hate to admit it.

The book was old and worn, but that didn't bother her in the least. No matter what this would always be her favorite book in the entire world. Of course there was another reason then for just the story. On the inside of the hard cover was a note written from her father to her mother saying that these words explained what he couldn't. Using this book, her father had told her mother just how he felt about her. In her opinion it was the ultimate romantic gesture. It was her first real glimpse into the love her parents shared for each other. She had never really seen them, but with this she felt she could be close to them still.

There was a knock at the door. Pulling her eyes away from the pages, Setsuko looked at the clock sitting on the side table across from her; it was late, 6:22pm. "Ah…who could be at the door at this hour?" she asked herself closing the book and sitting up. There was another knock as she stretched her body, "Alright….yeesh, I heard you the first time," she mumbled to herself under her breath. "One moment."

Setting the book on the table in front of the couch, she stood and straightened her clothes as she walked to the door. Opening the door, she was somewhat surprised to see a woman standing on front of her. Standing about the same height as herself, the woman was surprisingly pale for living in the desert. She stood up straight, reminiscent of Hui, showing that she had pride in her position. Her short black hair only went to her jaw line while her bangs were swept to one side, covering her left eye. The one pink eye she saw was big and bright but showed years of horrific jobs. This woman didn't smile and it looked as if the light scowl of a permanent look for her.

She bowed rigidly, "I'm Aoi, the other ANBU assigned to protect you Princess." she stood straight back up again and stared straight into Setsuko's eyes.

"Oh…" this look she was being given unnerved her a little, causing her to temporarily forget her words. "Uhm, well I thank you for your bravery Aoi." She smiled at her.

"It's my job you Majesty," she replied before giving another bow and walking down the hall.

Blue eyes blinked as they watched Aoi walk away and quietly closed the door. Leaning her back against the wooden door, Setsuko sighed softly to herself. The two ANBU looked like capable people and she had to be okay with entrusting her life to them. But, how could she when she didn't know them? Speaking of which, how could she truly trust this Kazekage since she didn't know him either? She hadn't seen him all day since she arrived. Deciding to stay inside on her first day, she chose to rest and get gather herself before leaving tomorrow and exploring her new surroundings. Her big blue eyes traveled to the old book on her living room table. An image of a burning house ran through her mind causing Setsuko to grab her head and drop to her knees, her eyes shut as tight as they could be.

* * *

Gaara looked up from his desk to see the sun beginning to set in the sky. The first day of his agreement to watch over the Aisugakure Princess was almost over. Not once had he gone to check on her and see how she was settling thus far. Turning back to his desk he looked down at the pen in his hand, then again it wasn't his duty to watch over her. He had put that task to his ANBU. Feeling his mind go blank as he tried to get back to work, he stared down at the paper a good long while spacing out. It wasn't until he heard something at the window that he looked up and snapped out of it.

Turning around in his chair, Gaara was surprised by the pair of blue eyes staring at him from the window. Hanging upside down was a person dressed in all black, the only thing to be seen were their blue eyes staring at him. Instantly on alert, the gourd set against the wall sprang to life! The cork popped off and sand shot out straight towards the onlooker. The sand ninja heard them grunt and quickly move out of the way, making their way up to the roof. Glaring, he grabbed the giant gourd and hopped out the window himself, making his way to the roof of the Kazekage building. The moment his feet touched the ceramic tiles that made up his roof, a curved blade was swung at them. Quickly he dodged, seeing that this black clad individual had lunged at him for the attack.

Taking the steps back needed to put distance between the two of them, Gaara stood up straight and finally got a better look at his attacker. It was obviously a woman by the figure that the tight black clothes covered; small but full and proportioned. A black masked covered her head except her eyes, showing the beautiful blues to be glaring at him. The mask was connected with her top at the neck, which was an ice blue color, having no sleeves and running down to her hips while her left side there was an intricate hole cut out; obviously on purpose. Her skin tight black pants had a similar design on each side of her thighs; all of which were outlined in a soft, bright blue. Her feet were covered in simple black ninja sandals and her arms covered in gloves that stopped in the middle of her upper arms, revealing her pale shoulders. The four, dark brown, leather belts around her waist helped keep a long, large piece of light blue fabric with an even lighter shade of blue running along the hem. On her back seemed to be the handles of two daggers in the shape of ornate dragons.

His eyes traveled to her right hand which held a scythe attached to a long chain which was wrapped around her arm. Sand poured out of the gourd on his back, floating around him and ready to attack or defend depending on the move of this female ninja. She took a step forward and the sand around him seemed to get a little more violent which seemed to cause her to hesitate. Without another thought, sand shot out at the kunoichi who did a series of back flips to dodge.

"Heh, you'll have to do better then that Kazekage Gaara," she taunted, her voice harsh but surprisingly sweet.

"If you know who I am then you obviously know this a foolish attempt on my life," he spat calmly, ceasing his onslaught for the moment.

Spinning the chained scythe around by her side she laughed at him, "Who ever said you were the one I was after?"

"Setsuko?" he breathed curiously. Her stare darkened and his eyes widened; in his shoulder was an ice shard with blood dripping off it.

She winked at him, "Bingo. But honestly, I wouldn't be worrying about her so much when you're in much more danger."

How? How was she able to get past my defense? he asked himself, utterly shocked that she had managed to succeed in such a critical strike. Looking up at her from the bloody ice, he could see the smirk on her lips from under her mask. It was obvious to him that he should stop taking this woman so lightly. Grabbing onto the ice, he winced as he pulled it free from his body. He wasn't going to die again. There was no way he would let that happen! The kunoichi raised a brow as he seemed to become serious about their fight. Was she about to finally see the true power of the former Jinchuriki? If she was, then this would be exciting. Speaking of exciting, she jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being coiled by sand.

Spikes of sand seemed to spring forth from every direction, keeping the mysterious ninja at bay, for the moment. Even though his face didn't show it, Gaara was starting to get frustrated with this skirmish. It wasn't abnormal for people to try and kill him, but something about this particular fight seemed odd to him. It could possibly be because she was one of the impossible few, Sasuke and Deidara being the only others, to have broken his defenses. It was also curious that she wasn't actually attacking him. Swiftly his hands moved in the formation of a jutsu, finally wanting this to come to an end and question her.

"Desert Hand!" he shouted as he finished. The sand around them quickly sprang to life, taking the form of hands and grasping her tiny body in them. "Who are you?!" he question firmly, walking towards her trapped form.

Suddenly there was a blue blade at his throat, wrapped around his neck from behind. His eyes traveled to over his shoulder to see her behind him, and then back to the one in front of him only to see her disappear in a puff of smoke. "Kids these days have no sense."

"Who. Are. You?" he asked again, slowly and through gritted teeth at the aggravation that she was able to get around his defenses twice.

He watched her eyes narrow a bit and lean in close to him, feeling her lips near his ear through the fabric of her mask, "Meroko Nazaki," she whispered.

Shock coated his facial features and her own seemed amused, "The Ice Dragon?'

"Oh, so you've heard of me? Well I'm truly flattered," she bemused, pressing her body against his backside as a flirty taunt. "It's a shame you're only a kid," she ran a gloved hand through his auburn hair, "You're cute."

He jerked his head away with a hiss, "How?"

"Simple, red heads are all cute," she stated with a shrug.

"No, how did you get past my defense?" he asked.

"Oh, simple really…" she pressed her lips against his skin, running her hand from the top of his head, down his neck, around his waist and up his chest. "I'm better than you." Looking over his shoulder, he shot her a glare which made most people to terrified to stand; she looked at it like it was just a normal glance. "Listen to me," he could hear the smirk curl at her lips again, "If you don't want the blood of Suna staining the sand I suggest you hand over the Princess peacefully or I promise, Kazekage Gaara, I'll fulfill my threat."

Quickly she pushed away from him as a blade came crashing down between them. A large, blue tinted, curved blade smashed through the rooftop as the assailant jumped back. Gaara turned to see another kunoichi standing beside him, holding the handle of the weapon and giving his attacker a glare of pure evil. This one also wore a face mask, their bright, icy blue eyes shimmering in the now desert night with pale blonde bangs hanging over their right eyes, slightly obstructing it from view. A bright pastel blue shirt covered their upper body with a high, baggy collar and a darker blue hem. Bandage tape covered their arms, from fingers to middle of the upper arm; exposing their shoulders. Pulling the massive blade free, the ripped and frayed blue fabric swayed with their hips, one leg exposed while the other covered in skin tight black pants. Three dark leather belts adorned her hips instead of the others' four.

Looking at this ninja standing in front of him, obviously coming to his defense, he was surprised that she was handling an obviously two handed weapon with only one. She was tiny compared to it and yet she gracefully moved it as if it were a small baton. Sizing up the two women, this newer one was smaller than the other by a few inches. In fact, it seemed the other one seemed visibly agitated by the appearance of the kunoichi. Meroko held up her dagger, pointing at Gaara.

"You were lucky this night monster," once again he heard that annoying smirk spread across her face, "Think about what I said. Are you really willing to give your life for someone you don't know?" With a hiss of smoke her body disappeared and the two ninja were left alone on the rooftop.

The kunoichi strapped her weapon to her back with a silent sigh before turning around. Quickly she put her hands up when there was a kunai pointed at her face, "Who are you?" She didn't say a word, just stared at the point of his kunai, causing it to come closer to her, "I won't ask again." His voice dripped with poison, obviously upset by the fight he just had.

Uncurling her fingers, something dropped from her hand which exploded into a huge, murky cloud of smoke. Without a word or sound she disappeared from sight leaving Gaara more frustrated then he was with fighting just one kunoichi.


	6. Under the Sun

"Bah! I'm so bored!" Setsuko whined as she lay on her couch. Still dressed in her night dress, she had yet to get up and get dressed even though it was 9am. Kazeku would surely have a fit if he knew. "Ugh, two days in this desert and I'm already bored out of my mind." She sat up quickly, "I'm going out!"

It wasn't impossible for her to leave the premises, but it was very difficult indeed. It didn't help with two ANBU on the same floor as her, making leaving just the floor nearly impossible. But not completely! With a determined grin, she quickly got off the couch and made to get ready for her day. She took a bath to clean herself up, combing out her wet hair to straighten it. Opening the closet door, she picked out a dress to wear and laid it on the bed as she did her hair. Taking her long hair, she parted her hair down the middle and wrapped them both into small buns at the back of her head, leaving enough hair to dangle from them. With the free hair, she braided them and tied them off; now her hair only went to the middle of her back. Smiling to herself, she turned to her clothes and put them on.

Sticking her head out the door to her room, she looked up and down the hall to see if the ANBU were roaming the halls. Slowly she stepped out of the room, trying to shut the door as silently as possible and sneak down the hall. So far so good, she didn't hear anything but her own heartbeat. She wondered if they were even in their rooms. There was a sound from one of the rooms that caused her to freeze momentarily. When nothing happened, she sighed in relief and continued to sneak down the hall.

"Princess Setsuko, please return to you room," the voice of Aoi called from one of the rooms.

Setsuko froze instantly hearing the voice of the female ANBU. How did she hear her? She was sure she was being quiet! Hanging her head, she sighed and trudged back to her room in defeat. There was no going outside at this rate. She got dressed for no reason. The second she closed the door to her room she looked at the window in the living room; maybe it wasn't a lost cause after all. Opening the window she looked down at the four flights of distance between her and the ground.

"Oh man…that's a long way down," she chuckled and she worked up the nerve to do what she was thinking of doing. Looking back at the door over her shoulder and back down at the ground, "This is probably a bad idea…."

Stepping onto the window sill, she crouched down and slowly began to climb down the side of the building. She must be crazy for doing this! What was she thinking? This wasn't any higher than her palace but at least there she had things to use to climb on; there was nothing here. This definitely had to be the dumbest idea she's had in a while. The sand beneath her fingers burned as its heat contrasted her cold, but she had to endure it if she didn't want to fall. Slowly and carefully she made her way down, hearing people murmur as they noticed her climbing like an idiot without any support.

"I really need a pair of pants for this kind of crap…" she grumbled to herself feeling a little vulnerable doing this in a dress.

Her eyes widened and she gasped as her foot slipped. She screamed as she began to fall, her hands outstretched. Everyone below looked on in shock and horror that she was going to fall to her death. Setsuko shut her eyes, waiting for the impending impact when she felt a jerk at her shoulders. Hissing in pain, she opened her eyes to see her feet still dangling above the ground. She was still alive! Looking up, she sighed in relief when she saw that she had luckily caught onto the window ledge of the second floor window. Pulling herself up a little, she looked over her shoulder at the ground; it wasn't that far down now. Taking a deep breath, she let go. The skirt of her dress billowed out around her, rustling in the wind as she fell towards the ground. Her feet slammed into the ground firmly as she finally made it. Standing with confidence, she wiped her brow and wiped her hands.

"Piece of cake!" she exclaimed happily. Looking around, she noticed all the people staring at her strangely and quickly covered her face and ran away.

Her sandals slapped against the dirt as she ran from the crowd that had watched her climb out of the hotel window. Running around a corner, she stopped to catch her breath. Well that was dumb. Now those two ANBU are gonna know I left, she thought with an audible groan. Tilting her head back against the wall of the building she was standing against, she gave a big sigh, her shoulders going up and down before she turned towards the other opening. So much for a clean getaway, but she was sure she had a bit of time before they would go searching for her. Walking towards the sunlight, she emerged to a bustling marketplace.

Big blue eyes blinked furiously as they watched amazed at all the people. She had never been around so many; Kazeku never let her physically interact with her people. He was so old fashion it made her feel old, even at the age of eighteen! Trying hard to blend in to the people around her, she shyly walked down the street having people look at her. The sweet, light blue dress she wore stood out in all this color of browns and reds. The neckline was square and slightly off the shoulders, the sleeves puffy and all lined with white lace, while the skirt had a darker blue pattern of leaves and vines swirling around. Hanging her head, she really did still out like a sore thumb, but these colors and kinds of clothes were normal for where she came from. She really didn't know anything at all about Suna.

Looking up, she saw that she had walked right in front of a clothing store. How lucky was she?! She smiled to herself and hastily ran inside. Inside was fairly plain; it reminded her of her room at the inn. There were a few girls shopping around, but otherwise it was deserted. Happily she began looking around, trying to find some clothes that would make her look more like she belonged in this village. It was also a good plan considering she didn't want to make any assassin's job easier at spotting her.

She didn't know how long she had been shopping for clothes, but when she finally had, she was carrying a lot of bags! Stepping into one of their dressing rooms, she stripped out of her blue dress and decided on wearing some of the new clothes she picked out. Picking out an olive green midriff shirt with only one sleeve and pair of dark brown short with fake laces, she looked over her body. The silver necklace with a sapphire pendant stood out against the darker, earth tones compared to her icy ones. Dropping it behind her new shirt, only the silver chain could be seen against her pale skin. Slipping her sandals back on and stuffing her dress into a bag, she ran out of the store to explore the marketplace some more.

Carrying her many bags, she walked down the street looking at all the things there was to see. Children ran by playing with each other, couples went shopping together with smiles, and vendors were cheerful as they made their money. So this was what it was like to walk in a city. She really wished that she could do this all the time. Everyone seemed so happy here, very different from her home. Or maybe this was how her home was she just wasn't able to experience it. Setsuko greatly wanted to connect with her people but her annoying royal advisor never seemed to let her. He was always so strict with her. She wondered if Gaara interacted with his people where she couldn't. He didn't really seem the type to her but it was certainly a nice thought.

"Excuse me ma'am!" a voice called out to her, breaking Setsuko from her thoughts.

She looked over curiously, "Me?" she asked pointing to herself.

"Yes you!" a man replied with a big toothy smile. "Have you ever tried Sun Flakes?"

Walking over to the booth, she looked at him and then to what he was selling. The whole booth seemed to be dedicated to little flakes in the shape of suns. "No, I can't say I have. What are they?"

He looked at her a little surprised, "Never heard of Sun Flakes you say?! Well they're only the greatest delicacy here in Suna!"

"Really?" she inquired, staring at the small flakes sitting in mounds.

The man held out a hand with a single Sun Flake in it, "Here, try one on the house!" She graciously took it from him and popped it in her mouth, "But be warned, they're spicy."

Setsuko smiled as the savory spices danced on her taste buds, "Mmm!" It was so delicious! However that smile quickly faded when the true spices took over. She yelped in agony as her mouth was set ablaze, "Ahah! Why didn't you tell me it was that spicy to begin with?!"

"But I did," he chuckled.

"They're spicy, doesn't begin to cover it!" she shouted, using her fingers to make quotes as she spoke his words.

He couldn't help but laugh at her, "Well I'm sorry I didn't give a better warning ma'am."

"However!" she started, staring him down making him a little uncomfortable, "I'll take a big bag!" she exclaimed beaming at him.

Composing a large bag of Sun Flakes for her, he handed it to her as she handed him the money. Thanking him for the food, she opened the bag and began munching on the crunchy little flakes. As she happily strolled down the marketplace eating and hearing the cheer in everyone around her, Setsuko stopped in front of what looked like a book store. Maybe she would be able to get a good history book about Suna, or even another storybook. Something she's never read before would be nice. Walking inside, she took a deep breath and sighed happily to herself. The smell of books was always so calming to her; it was as if she could envision the words jumping off pages and telling their stories to her without having to read them.

Walking through the darkened book shop, she looked at all the shelves of new and old books. Some were worn and some were sleek, but they all held something special in them. Stopping half way through the shop, she noticed an old brown book with gold filigree lining. She pulled the book free and looked it over. Outwardly it was obviously old from the faded colors but was still in good condition. Looking at the spine she read the title, _The Desert God's Prayer_. Interesting title, she thought as she opened the cover; the pages were stained and a little frayed from the years that it sat on the shelf. Flipping through the first few blank pages, she stopped when she saw a dedication. The words were faded but still legible and there seemed to be some kind of single discolored stain towards the bottom of the page.

_My Dear Daughter Kohaku,_

_ I write this last story for you. I know you will never read its words but I can't very well leave this world without showing my love and regret. I did so many things that caused you suffering and even though I wish I can take them all back, I can't. My time is slowly coming to an end and we will be reunited again. If you don't ever want to see my face again I would understand, but I so hope that you can forgive my selfishness and learn to live the rest of your eternity in peace. These words I write are filled with so much love and pride to have had you as my daughter. I love you._

Setsuko couldn't stop the tear that slid down her cheek from reading the dedication. This parent obviously loved their daughter a lot to put so much feeling and life into just the dedication. If they truly put all their heart into this book, it would be a true epic. Closing the book she wiped her eyes and continued looking through the shelves, carrying the book with her. She clung to the old book tightly, not wanting to let it go. As she wandered through shelves and shelves of books, she wondered to herself who this Kohaku was and what happened to them. Old books really were the best when it came to storytelling. They were the ones that seemed to be so full of life! Their authors truly had a passion for what they did and it showed in every word, every page.

Reaching the history section of the shop she began looking through the books, hoping to find one that was good enough to give her a little bit of history on Sunagakure. And index finger traveled through all the book spines, reading each title carefully. Finally her finger stopped at a book, _A Chronicle of Sand_. The title was enough to grab her attention, but was it the right kind of material she was looking for? Taking the book off the shelf, she opened it up to the Table of Contents to look through the different chapters. General History. Military. Architecture. Customs. Yep! This was the one she wanted. She didn't need to read the rest of the chapters to know that this was the right history book for her. Taking it with her, she put both books on the counter to be purchased.

"I think it's time to go back," she said to herself as she heard the book shop door close behind her.

"I couldn't agree more," a low voice said beside her.

Setsuko screamed in surprise, dropping everything she had purchased in the process. Standing next to the door was none other than Gaara, leaning against the building and his arm crossed over his chest in such a relaxed manner. "Gaara!"

He pushed off the building and faced her, "What are you doing out here?"

"Me?! What are you doing scaring people like that?" she shouted, her hand to her chest as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. When her heart and breath had finally calmed, she picked up her things, "How'd you even find me anyways?"

Staring at her with stoic features he reached out and grabbed the end of one of her braids, "You stand out too much." As he felt her hair slip from his fingers he noted that it was soft and felt like silk.

"Well excuse me!" she snapped, glaring at him.

Without another word, Gaara turned from her and began walking away. Watching him go, she sighed and followed after him. She wasn't even home and yet she was still getting in trouble! Following behind him, she pouted to herself at his rube behavior and aloofness. He could at least show some emotion once in a while! He reminded her of Hui a little; she barely ever showed emotions as well. She was always so serious and quiet. Letting her gaze travel up his back, she noticed that his arms were crossed against his chest again and he didn't once stop to talk to anyone; in fact most people seemed to just kind of ignore him.

The sun was just starting to set when they reached the inn. Looking out at the vast desert just beyond the city limits, she was awestruck by the beautiful orange color that lit the sky; like fire. It was uncommon in Aisugakure to see the sun; it was usually covered by clouds and blizzards. There were a few times where they got to see the sun, but they were so rare that she couldn't help the mystical feeling she felt while seeing such a sky. This place, even though it was different and new, was beautiful in its own way. Gaara stopped suddenly causing Setsuko to run into his back.

"Ow!" she cringed, rubbing her nose. "Why'd you stop?"

He didn't turn to look at her, "We're here."

Peering from behind his back she saw the two guards posted outside the front doors of the inn, "Oh…" Slowly walking around him, she stopped at the first step, "Thank you for escorting me back." The two guards opened the doors for her and she walked inside.

Reaching the top floor, she walked inside her room and dropped everything. With a solemn look upon her delicate features, she stared at the wooden floor. How would she survive here if she was confined to her room? She somewhat understood his position, but Gaara wasn't allowing her to do anything. All she wanted was to go home. Picking out the old book she had purchased she walked over to the couch and flopped down. As she lay back against the armrest, she opened the book to the first chapter and began reading.


	7. Rippling Tides

Gaara sat in his office blankly staring at his desk. It had been three days since that kunoichi attacked him and issued her warning. He didn't act upon threats but her words still echoed in his ears. Would he really put his life on the line for someone he didn't know? She wasn't apart of Suna and she wasn't a friend, so would he? Leaning against the desk, head in hands, he continued to think about it. Right now it was his job to keep her safe. He closed his eyes and sighed. Dropping his arms, he forgot about his wandering thoughts and went back to focusing on his work. He didn't see much of the Princess anyways; why should he care?

"Gaara?" the voice of his older sister Temari broken the silence of his office.

"What is it Temari?" he sat like stone working.

She walked in without hesitation after his acknowledgement, "Just here to turn in my report from our mission." She set a paper on his desk and swiftly turned to make her exit, she knew how much he preferred to be undisturbed.

"Temari." His voice caught her by surprise and she turned back around, a little shocked that he had stopped her.

"Yes?" she asked, still curious by why he stopped her.

The two siblings stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, "I…" Gaara began, trying to think of how to put his thoughts into words. He had never been good at expressing himself. "…Can you have this delivered?" He held out his hand with a folded piece of paper in it.

"Uhm…sure," she replied taking it. While walking towards the door, she secretly smiled back at her little brother knowing he had tried to make an effort to talk to her.

* * *

"It's not fair!" Maki shouted angrily as his hands clenched into fists.

Dark clouds hung over head, dropping snow on the mountains Aisugakure inhabited. Standing in the royal palace's courtyard was an angry Maki and unphased Hui, who listened to him shout and complain. How could he have not been told when she was leaving? He was apart of the royal guards too! So why wasn't he told? It was his job to protect Setsuko at all costs and he couldn't do that if people were keeping secrets from him! He angrily looked up at her.

Looking down at him emotionlessly, she raised a single brow, "Stop your whining Maki."

There was a low, guttural growl in his throat, "I'm not whining! I'm the only one that can protect her and I can't do that when she's so far away from me!" His look of fury disappeared almost instantly and he looked away from his commanding officer, "…I mean from home…"

"You're too personally invested in the Princess. Your feelings cloud your judgment and make for poor decision making. You weren't told anything because I knew you would react just like this and blow the whole plan," she stated completely ignoring his words.

"And what do you expect me to do? Be like you? A cold hearted bitch," he spat, his anger resurfacing.

"Is that so?" she questioned calmly. "You're relieved of duty, go home."

Maki looked at her shocked. Was she really sending him home? "What?"

"I said go home," Hui repeated as she turned her back on him, never once glancing back at him. Before he could speak up, she walked away from him, her metal heels echoing on the stones of the courtyard.

* * *

Leaning back in his chair, Gaara rubbed his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Another peaceful night in Suna and he was where he always was. As he blankly stared up at the ceiling, he found himself thinking back to when he met Hui, the Captain of Princess Setsuko's guards. Something still seemed to captivate him about her. He wondered if she had made it safely back to Aisugakure and how things were fairing for her back there. His attention was brought back to reality when he heard his door open. Sitting back up straight, he saw that it was none other than the Princess herself. She was dressed in a short, pastel orange dress of what looked like Chinese origin. What was she even doing here?

"Why are you here?" he asked as his gaze went back to his work.

She didn't say a word until she stood in front of his desk, causing him to look up at her, "Can we go for a walk?"

He stared up at her for a moment before turning back to his desk and resuming his work, "I'm busy."

"Really?" He didn't see the smirk appear on her face as her eyes narrowed a little. A sudden cold wind blew through his office, blowing all the papers on his desk to the floor. Surprised, he again looked up at her, "Doesn't look like it to me."

He sighed, "How did you even get past the ANBU?"

"Are you kidding?" she laughed. "I've been ditching guards since I was four. It wasn't hard."

He got up from his seat and began picking up the papers on the floor, "Go back to the inn."

Setsuko grabbed his hand, the difference in their temperatures obvious to both of them, "Oh come on! Where's your sense of adventure Gaara?" With a wicked grin to the younger man, she dragged him out the window in utter shock.

He had managed to grab the gourd at the last second, strapping it to his back as they jumped out the window. Knowing she wasn't trained as a shinobi, Gaara wrapped his arms around her before they touched the ground and prevented her from hurting herself. Letting go of her, he watched her take a few steps away from him and look up into his eyes. Under the light of the moon she looked almost ethereal with her pale body. Her eyes twinkled like the stars. Her skin seemed to have a soft glow emanating from it and her hair looked as if shined like the bright light of the moon. Again she grabbed onto his hand, a smile playing on her lips and dragged him away from the Kazekage building.

Setsuko never let go of his hand as she dragged him through the village under the light of the full moon. Whenever she would see a patrolling shinobi, she would force him to hide with her making sure to cover his mouth incase he alerted them to their presence. She didn't want to be caught just yet. Half way through the village, she smiled back at him seeing his confused expression. As they reached the path that led from the village into the open terrain, she skid to a halt as she noticed a light coming towards them. Pushing Gaara up against the nearby wall, she covered his mouth once again with her hand and watched as the ninja passed by without noticing them.

"Come on," she whispered to him, as she led him out of the village and down the path.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked as they kept running, still highly confused by her actions. He was never going to understand women.

She smiled over her shoulder, "Don't worry your pretty little head!"

After a half hour of running, she finally began to slow her pace. As they did, he could hear the sound of waves nearby. He knew where they were now. There was a beach just after the forest that separated Konoha from Suna. As they reached the clearing, he heard Setsuko squeal happily and begin running again. Watching her back, she removed her shoes mid run and jumped on the railing of a wooden platform that overlooked the beach. He was shocked when she launched herself off it and landed on the soft sand perfectly. He had no idea she had such balance. Then again, he didn't know anything about her. Since there was nothing else he could do, he followed after her slowly, not bothering to force her back to the village just yet.

Standing a few feet back, he watched her play in the foam created by the waves as they crashed to the shore. She seemed so happy just doing something simple as standing in water. He could hear the sound of her laughter; it sounded just like an innocent child. Her long blonde hair flew around her body as she danced around in such a blissful state. He had never seen anyone so happy before. She finally stood still and stretched her arms out, holding her head high. Watching her strange behavior, he was a little surprised when a wave engulfed her body. Thinking that she had been swept out to sea he jogged towards the shore only to be surprised by her standing there, completely soaked.

He threw up his hands as she shook out the water from her hair, spraying him with sea water. Turning around, she couldn't help but start laughing at him. There was no denying that she was the strangest Princess he had ever met. Her laughing died away and their eyes locked onto each other. Gaara watched her stare at him with an unblinking stare and although he wanted to know why she was he never voiced his question. Setsuko looked into his eyes and was struck by their beauty under the moonlight.

"Gaara," her voice broke the silence between them and he blinked. He didn't reply. "Why did you ask me if I knew what Kazeku had asked of you? What exactly did he ask?"

For a long moment, he didn't say a word. He was slightly taken back by her question. How was he going to answer it? Thinking back to the letters he had received, he couldn't help the heat that suddenly rose to his face, but he held it back well. Without showing a single shred of emotion he replied, "He asked me to marry you."

Setsuko gasped, her face fully showing her shock. She was utterly speechless! No wonder he hadn't wanted to mention it before. It was such an odd request. Why would Kazeku ask Gaara such a thing? Besides, she dropped her gaze to the sand, she didn't love Gaara. How could she possibly marry someone she didn't love? A small blush tainted her cheeks as she let her mind wander. An image of Maki raced through her mind and she smiled to herself. Even though she knew it was forbidden, it was her dream to marry Maki. She knew it was his too because as children he had made that promise to her. Walking around him, she made her way back up the beach and to the deck that over looked the vast ocean side.

Gaara watched her silently and couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking about. He had found it a strange request and had been shocked by it when he read it for the first time. Now that he thought about it, maybe it was because of the request made by her advisor that caused him to be far more distant to her than the other people of Suna. Of course he was a busy man, but it was his subconscious keeping him away from her. No, that couldn't be it. He didn't have any problems staying away from her and had no desire to be near her.

"I'm sorry about Kazeku's forward request," she said as he came to stand behind her. Turning from the water, she faced him with her back casually leaning against the railing, "He's old fashion. According to his ways I'm of marrying age." Her blue eyes never once looked up at him, they stayed locked on the wooden deck.

He shook his head, "It's alright." This was his first time actually talking with this Princess and so far he couldn't come up with a conclusion about her.

She smiled up at him, something that only Naruto and his siblings did. He watched as she turned back to the water, leaning over and resting her arms on the railing and shifting her weight to one side, "You know, there's a really old legend in my village. One that…" she paused a moment, her gaze becoming thoughtful, "…That I didn't even believe until fourteen years ago."

"Hmm…" Gaara quietly walked around her, coming up beside her and placing his hands on the railing she was leaning against. "Legend huh?" he mused as he looked out at the ocean with her. He could see something different about her; something much like Naruto had. "You enjoy stories don't you?" he asked, looking over to her.

Setsuko chuckled softly, facing him with the same smile, "Hm, yeah I-Gaara watch out!" Her eyes flashed wide in alert as she wrapped both hands around one of his arms and threw him over the railing and into the sand.


	8. An Icy Demise

She hadn't batted an eye as she threw Gaara out of the way. Gasping in surprise when she saw it coming, she instinctually pushed him out of the way. There was no decision in her actions, just pure drive. An autopilot move. Even with such a split second decision she had even less time to defend herself as the attack continued on. Her eyes shut tight as she expected to be run through and die, holding her hands up in defense. When that moment failed to arrive, she was shocked to see a block of ice blocking the attack. Gaara looked up from the beach in a panic, expecting to see Setsuko dead on the deck but saw the opposite. She stood behind the transparent ice in relief that it had sprung up just in time to save her life, catching the blade of the sword that had attempted to stab her.

A mental sigh of relief was short lived as he noticed a clone sneaking up behind the Princess. "No!" he shouted as he stretched forth his hand. In the blink of an eye she was encased in a barrier of sand.

The ice that stood before her melted away and Gaara stood. Looking around her, she seemed shocked to be surrounded in so much sand. She couldn't see what was going on, all she could see was the second sword at her backside. On the beach, in the sand, Gaara was in his element. Anywhere there was dirt, where there was earth, there was sand. Lucky for him, the beach was made of almost nothing but sand. It was slower than the special sand kept in his gourd, but it would work nonetheless. He quickly leapt back onto the deck to face his opponent.

"Well, that's unfortunate," a male voice sighed heavily looking at the blade stuck in the sand. The man jumped over the casing and smirked evilly at Gaara, "And here I thought I could run the two of you through like lovers."

Silently Gaara stared at him, matching the evil stare the foe was giving him, "Who are you?"

"Ah ah," the man taunted with a shake of his finger, "I'm not going to give up my name as easily as Meroko did. That's something you'll just have to find out."

"So, you're an assassin," Gaara replied as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Glancing over at the sand shell protecting Setsuko he wondered if the assassination attempts would become more frequent now. This was the second one in a few days, although the first one didn't get as close to her as this one had. Maybe that was the point. He had had a strange feeling about that last encounter from the get go; maybe they attacked to surprise them and then retreat for a while to let them drop their guard. Now they were too far away from the village and any reinforcements that could come to their aid. Gaara turned his attention back to his opponent when he heard him move. There was a slick, devious grin upon his face. He hadn't made a serious move yet and yet he looked as if he already won. Too much confidence would kill him.

"Now then, time to get things started." He couldn't help the malicious snigger as he brought his hand up; Gaara was instantly on his guard. "Princess, I do hope you like painful memories because then we can enjoy this together." He snapped his fingers and there was a blood curdling scream that sprang to life from inside the protective shell of sand.

Gaara was a little surprised, "What did you do?"

The man chuckled, "What? Afraid for your little girlfriend?" he tilted his head to the side curiously but that evil smirk never faded. "Whoa!" Sand shot out at him causing him to dodge just in the nick of time. "You see, I have a specialty when it comes to genjutsu. All it takes is that single glance to plant my seeds; the more they grow, the worse it gets."

There was another loud scream from the sand. Gaara growled low as it echoed in his ears and another sling shot of sand shot out at the assassin. He needed to end this quick if he was going to free Setsuko from this genjutsu. At the same time he wondered what she was seeing that was causing her to be in so much distress. Then again, genjutsus were often horrible no matter what so it didn't really matter. Gaara's attention went back to the assassin as he picked up the sword that had been stuck in Setsuko's block of ice before melting. He held it up and pointed towards Gaara as if to say come and get him.

Not wanting to be an ungracious host, Gaara obliged the man's request. With a hiss, sand shot out at him at lightning fast speeds. Even though the assassin had been expecting him to attack, he was unprepared for just how fast Gaara's sand could be. He tried to doge but his shoulder was struck causing him to spin in the air before falling onto the deck. Slowly getting up, holding his shoulder, he hissed in pain as each drop for blood fell.

Setsuko screamed again as another memory passed through her mind. Along the back of her neck what looked like tree limbs were slowly forming up towards her skull with each passing minute and memory. With tears heavily streaming down her face, she dropped to her knees as she tried desperately to break the genjutsu on her. Her hands covered her face, wide eyes peeking through as they stared blankly at the sand beneath her body. As one memory began to fade away and her cries began to soften another limb took root, climbing up her neck and causing her to scream out again. Her whole body shook as she fell forward, her throat unable to scream anymore from pain. There was nothing she could do; she would be stuck in this genjutsu forever.

Through the pain, Setsuko heard a strange call. Something was crying out to her. It raged and cried with her as if it felt her pain. What could it be? She wandered through the corridors in her mind trying to look for the cause of the suffering. Waging through horrible images, gradually growing weaker and weaker as she progressed, she collapsed. Painfully bringing her head up, she was amazed at what she saw. A large sakura tree wrapped around a huge block of ice stood in the middle of what seemed to be a grassy meadow, with its roots digging into the ice with each new growth. What was this? The voice called to her. It was so soothing, comforting and warm. With shaky limbs she rose to her feet and slowly made her way closer to it. Stretching out her hand she touched the ice and it instantly sprang to life.

Gaara landed another blow to the assassin's chest as he seemed to stop dead in his tracks with his eyes wide and showing fear. His body slammed against the sand that protected Setsuko causing the wind to be knocked out of him. He looked up with a half cocked grin, coughing as he stood. This looked like it was it, his get away mark. He had to report what he saw back to his superiors. Catching his breath, he jumped up to land on top of the casing protecting the Princess from harm.

"Well, it's been real fun but I gotta go," he used the tip of his blade to give Gaara a mock salute.

The cracking sound of ice echoed through both of their ears causing both shinobi to look at the shell. In an instant the sand sprang to life, forming sharp dagger points and jetting upwards, impaling the assassin. Gaara was shocked, looking at the sand covered and mixed with ice. Standing at the center was Setsuko; she looked unharmed and very angry. Who would have guessed that she could possess such power! Sure he had noticed that she could affect the temperature around her, but on a scale like this? She looked up from her hunched over position and he noticed that her eyes didn't look the same. Her right arm moved up and then slammed back down as the assassin was impaled with another spike through the heart.

Slowly she walked out from under the ice covered sand, holding her head. Taking about four steps towards Gaara she collapsed from what looked like exhaustion. Gaara walked the rest of the way towards her, picking her up and taking her back to the sand village to rest and recover.

* * *

"Eye of the Master," a low, menacing voice spoke after performing hand signs. Dark gray eyes flashed open instantly and slowly melted away into a gold color, a scowl appearing on their face. "So Tonka was killed."

"Sir?" the sultry voice of Meroko spoke up as she emerged from the shadows.

With her mask now removed, her long blonde hair lay curtained against her back with bangs swept to the side in an elegant manner. Her soft cream skin was contrasted by the dark, navy blue dress she wore. The dress itself was strapless and reached the floor in a skirt that was tight at the hips and slowly flared out into a mermaid style. At the hips there were two circular cut outs on either side, showing off her slim figure and hips. Her neck was covered by a collar that spiraled down her chest a little in intricate designs that were lined in a lighter shade of blue to make them stand out; the long gloves on her arms having the same patterns and colors. Her white heels clacked against marble floors as she slowly stepped out of the shadows to look up at her master and his golden eyes.

"Yes Meroko, it's true. I saw it all," he said as he stood from the chair with which he sat. His hand slowly moved to behind his back as he walked closer to her, "And it seems I was right. Setsuko holds both the power and body within her."

Meroko's eyes slowly darkened as a malicious grin spread across her lips, "Does that mean I can finally cut loose?"

"Eager to fight someone?" he asked, his eyes slowly melting back into their original gray color as he looked back at her.

Pulling one of her dragon shaped daggers free she held it out, "Oh, you have no idea the kinds of scores I want to settle."

He chuckled, "Very well, but you will start closer to home. There are a few people I want to recruit before we make our way to the Princess."

"If it means I get my kill then I'm okay with that," she said as she resheathed the dagger and began walking away to change into an outfit more suited for fighting.

"Oh, and Meroko," her master spoke up before she was too far away to hear him. She stopped and looked back at him over her shoulder, "Only kill one of them if you can."

Meroko smirked back at him and disappeared into the shadows of the building. Her mysterious master walked towards the seemingly only window in sight and looked out at the vast, snowy landscape. Their base of operations would be moving soon, to put his trust in Meroko was unfounded. She was his most capable and trusted lackey; she would get the job done, even if she did go overboard.

* * *

Glittering blue eyes snapped open and had to readjust to the sudden light bombarding them. With a groan Setsuko threw the covers of her bed over her face to protect herself from the sun's rays. What even happened? she asked herself as she rolled over under the covers. As she began to close her eyes to go back to sleep they shot back open as the memories came flooding back to her. Throwing the covers off quickly, she sat straight up in bed just as quick and caused herself to get a head rush. Blinking rapidly, she shook off the dizzy sensation and looked down at her hands. The horrible memories that assassin made her live through. Her hands clenched into fists and she got out of bed, finding herself in her thin blue nightgown.

Walking out of her room she looked at herself, not remembering how she got into the clothes, "How did these get on me? I don't remember putting these on." Walking to her small kitchen she began to brew some tea when she realized she wasn't alone. Slowly turning around, she jumped in surprise when she saw Gaara sitting on the couch with his arms crossed across his chest and his eyes closed. "Holy cow! How long has he been here?" she asked herself as she picked up the pot that she had dropped in her surprise.

Slowly she made her way over to Gaara, inching closer with the small pot still in her hands. As she got closer she could see his chest rising and falling with each intake of air and wondered if he was sleeping. If he was, she had to admit that he looked really cute when he slept. Reaching out to him slowly, her index finger extended, she was about to gently poke him on his cheek when his eyes shot open in a flash. Setsuko screamed in terror and fell on her butt as she jumped back. Feeling her heart beating rapidly at the sheer terror she had just felt, she placed a hand to her chest to try and settle it down.

"Yeesh! Warn a girl next time!" she huffed as she tried to steady her breathing.

He looked down at her, "You shouldn't sneak up on a shinobi, unless you want to die."

She pursed her lips, looking up at him, "Death, right. Noted." She said as she stood up, dusting herself off. "So, I have a question for you." Gaara looked at her silently but curiously, or at least, she thought he did. "Do you know how I got into these clothes?"

Staring him down, she thought she saw the faintest of blushes come to his face, "Your clothes were ripped and wet from last night. You would have caught a cold."

"Are you….are you saying you changed my clothes for me?!" she asked as her own face grew hotter from embarrassment.

"I never said that," he retorted, crossing his arms across his chest.

Covering her chest, she closed her eyes tightly, "You're such a perv!" she shouted as she went to slap him.

Before her hand could connect to his face, he grabbed her wrist. Her eyes blinked open and seemed a little shocked at the glare he was giving her, "You're not a fighter so I highly suggest you do not attempt such an action again."

Her face contorted into a slight cringe as his grip around her wrist tightened before letting go. Bringing her hand to her chest, she rubbed her wrist and stared at him for a moment before swiftly walking back into her bedroom with the doors closing behind her. Without needing to be told, Gaara left her hotel room, the sound of the door closing echoing in Setsuko's ears. After he left she sunk to the floor, her back leaning up against the door and dropping her head into her hands. Her shoulders began to tremble as she softly started crying.


	9. The Eagle's Verocity

The day was just starting in Aisugakure and all the guards were up and patrolling the perimeters of the palace. It had been three days since Maki had been sent home and now he was back and crankily doing his duties. He was still upset at not being in the loop when it came to the Princess but Hui had explained it to him and felt, slightly, better. Although he doubted he would ever completely forgive his captain until this whole mess was over and Setsuko was safely back home. Walking next to the courtyard, Maki looked out at the guard shift seeing his captain make her way towards him and inside the castle.

With an angry hiss, Maki left his post and made his way to meet his commanding officer in the middle of the courtyard. Many of the older guards looked down on him for his disobedient behavior and often berated him, but he just ignored them. With his hands clenched into fists, he stormed his way past many of his comrades and stood in front of Hui's path, making sure to block her. She stopped, her eyes slowly peering down at him. He was still in his teens so he wasn't just quite up to her height yet, but a few more years and he'd be taller than her. Then the fact that he was slowly surpassing her in kenjutsu also made him even more confident that he shouldn't have been singled out like he had been. Was he the only one that cared about Setsuko? Did no one else feel that sending her away was the worst idea that could have been made?! They didn't even know what was happening to her out there in Sunagakure! What if things were worse for her there?

"What Maki?" she asked with little regard for formalities.

"I can't believe you demoted me for speaking my mind!" he shouted at her angrily.

Closing her eyes slowly, she sighed, "Maki, I don't have time for this."

"Then make time dammit! I can't believe you'd trust some foreigners to take care of our Princess! We know nothing about them! And then to demote me for disagreeing with you; that's damn low," he argued, unrelenting in his need for confrontation about the situation.

Hui looked down at her personally taught pupil. She had high hopes for him but if he kept letting his love for Princess Setsuko get in his way he would never get anywhere. With his way of thinking he would forever be stuck in this cloud of worry. She did understand his feelings, she too once felt an unyielding love for someone, but that faded with time and duty. Rubbing her temples under her ornate helmet she couldn't help the exasperated sigh that escaped her lips. It was possible that nothing would get through his head about the reasons they never said a word to him about moving the Princess. As her eyes opened they looked over her shoulder suspiciously before grabbing Maki and throwing him under the covering of one of the many halls and jumping after him. Just as she landed on the stone a concentrated blizzard struck the courtyard cutting all the bodies inside to pieces.

The two soldiers looked on in horror as they watched the icy gale disappear and the body parts of their brethren fall to the cold, snow covered stone. Maki's eyes were wide and starting to tear up as he had never seen a gruesome sight such as this before in his life. Yes, he had seen many things before, but something of this caliber had yet to cross the eyes of the eighteen year old. Hui, however, had seen things like this before and so, while she felt utter rage, she knew how to control and redirect such feelings welling within her. Her steel blue eyes narrowed into a deadly glare as they surveyed the area, ready to avenge the many men that were just slaughtered. Her eyes found themselves falling upon four figures, but the one she paid attention to most was the one standing high above the others on the roof of the front gates. She knew exactly who it was by the clothes they wore.

"Spear of the Lightning Goddess!" Hui's voice shouted as her hands finished hand signs. Pulling a scroll free she unrolled it as the paper began to emit a bright, blinding light.

"Damn!" Meroko hissed as she stood atop a roof that surrounded the courtyard of the palace.

Lightning cracked in the sky as the clouds began to darken. A single bolt stuck the scroll and Hui, blinding all around them. Having no choice but to take her eyes off her opponent, Meroko covered her eyes. As she removed her hands, the light had faded and standing below her was Hui clad in variant shades of purple and gold. In her right hand there was a long spear with purple and white ribbons tied to it, billowing softly in the sudden stormy winds. Surrounding her dark eyes were dark make up in strange inconsistent patterns with a gold, jagged tiara around her forehead. Her long white hair was no longer in a braid but a ponytail with what looked like hair slowly and loosely falling out of the hairdo. As the wind blew around them the individual pieces of her skirt swept across her gladiator like sandals, her high collar rustled around her neck and she slowly put her long spear in front of her, ready for combat.

With a glare on her face, Hui leapt from the ground, "Shit! She's fast!" Meroko cursed as she was just barely able to dodge Hui's attack. As the attack struck the ceramic roof tiles a bolt of lightning slammed down in the exact same spot. "And she has lightning nature, perfect."

"Why are you running Ice Dragon? It's not like you," Hui spat as she rushed at Meroko again.

"Well I can't very well rush into things without first sizing up my opponent Hui. And in all our years, I've never once seen you have to resort to any jutsus in your arsenal. Come to think of it, I didn't know you even had any," she bemused as she landed gracefully a few feet away. "Whoa!" she again just barely managed to dodge, "Are you that mad that I killed all those guards?"

Hui's eyes narrowed into a look that many on the battlefield feared, "How dare you speak ill of the dead!"

Maki stood in the courtyard watching the two fight in the air, clashing just like bolts of lightning in the sky. Each strike was a thunderous echo and seemed to push each of them away from the other. His eyes widened when he felt something cut his cheek. Blood dripped down the side of his cheek as he looked over to see three of Meroko's accomplices standing in front of him. Each one was a different height and weight and gender. Pulling his sword free, Maki stood on guard, ready to take on the three alone and knowing full well he was probably not capable of such a feat. With no guards to back him up and Hui fighting the ringleader, he was left to do what he could to stop these three at whatever they were doing.

"Why don't I get things started," the woman of the three man group said as she walked forward. She was of average height with caramel colored skin and a full figure. Her, obviously, long black hair was kept in a messy bun atop her head while her eyes of gold burned with malice. Maki held his sword in front to guard himself, "Wind Style: Petal Dance!" she shouted after weaving hand signs that were far to fast for Maki to see.

* * *

Voluntarily, Setsuko stayed in her room. Sitting at the window in her bedroom, she stared out at the sand covered village. The look on her face was somber and almost lifeless. As she stared out at the people blankly the look Gaara had given her earlier that day haunted her. She had never seen anyone look at her like that before. There was…so much hate in his eyes. Where had it come from? Sure, she was used to messing up and being scolded and looked at with disappointment, but never with such anger. Her normally beautiful blue eyes were dull with confusion as she looked at the sand covered window sill.

Sighing to herself, she got up from the seat at the window and left the room. Flopping onto the couch lazily, she picked up the book she had bought the other day and opened it up. Feeling the spine bend as she did so, she took in the smell of the old pages and began reading them to herself. The light gleamed down upon the weary traveler causing sweat to drip from his brow. Reaching up with a free hand he wiped the perspiration away and looked up at the giant ball of light in the sky reminiscing on the task left to them by their village, her mental voice spoke as she read silently. She stopped a moment and stared at the words she had just read. A task left to them by their village. She was currently doing something similar wasn't she? Bowing her head, she sighed heavily to herself. Who was she kidding? This was no task. She was doing nothing but hiding away from the people that needed her. How could she compare herself to the heroes in the books she read? Especially if such an angry look bothered her so much.

Setting her book down on the small table in front of her, she sunk further into the couch, staring up at the ceiling. She could never be a proper ruler if things like this bothered her so much. Did she really even want to rule over people? Even after so long living in the palace she hated it. She was never able to do anything that Kazeku didn't approve of. She wasn't allowed to walk among her people, or directly assist the ninja. The only things she was really allowed to do was stand at the highest balcony and address her people with the laws and solutions Kazeku and other council members came up with; as if she had no say whatsoever. It was as if they didn't respect her at all! Turning onto her side, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

Maki slowly got to his feet, hissing from the pain pounding against his skull. Touching his hand to his head he felt something sticky running down the side of his face and in his hair. Blood. He cringed at the sudden pain that scorched through his nerves. Looking around he saw that the three that had been attacking him were on the ground, unconscious and covered in rubble. Their bodies were scratched and bruised from the stones of the courtyard crashing down on them. As he slowly rose to his feet and limped over, he noticed burn marks too. What happened? he asked himself as he looked around at the mass amount of destruction. The hallways surrounding the courtyard were reduced to smoldering rubble and the ground was cracked, with the snow having evaporated.

The armor on his body was dented and burned causing him to discard it. As he tried to look for Hui in the destruction he toppled over from the pain his body had endured. Looking around his immediate area he remembered! Hui and her opponent were clashing above them in the sky when Hui unleashed a devastating tornado of thunder and lightning upon her opponent that swallowed everything within the immediate vicinity. Everyone had been struck. It was a type of attack that was meant to simply destroy everything. That's how he knew that Hui was serious about their opponents. If she was willing to go to such lengths to take them out, they all must be very strong.

"Maki…." Hui's voice echoed through the rubble.

"Captain!" he called back to her, trying to find out just where she was. "Hui! Where are you?"

"Ma…ki…" her voice called to him again, strained and faint.

He searched through mounds of rock and snow that had once again begun to fall, "Hang on Captain!" Beyond their battlefield he could hear the faintest echo of metal boots finding their way to them. Reinforcements. "Captain Hui!" Maki breathed when he finally found her under a pile of rocks and snow. He pulled her free and breathed a sigh of relief that she was okay.

"Maki…you…" she cringed in pain, holding her side which seemed to be bleeding. "You have to get away."

"What? Are you crazy! You're hurt; I'm not leaving you behind. Besides, I can hear the others coming closer. We're going to be fine," he argued stubbornly.

Slowly Hui shut her eyes, a soft smile slowly forming on her lips at knowing how Maki was. "I tried…" her muttered.

Maki looked down at her when he saw a strange glow from the back of her neck, "Wha-"

Hui's eyes flashed open, glowing purple for but a brief moment before returning to normal. She pushed Maki away from her and stood up, blood dripping from her side. "Sword of the Demon King!" she murmured low as she weaved a complex string of hand signs before pulling forth another scroll.

Maki watched as the scroll emitted a bright, blinding light like the last one had. She slowly reached her hand inside the light and pulled a large black sword with many smaller curved blades towards the hilt. The moment the sword was free Hui's eyes were engulfed in a red glow as was her body. It was as if her body was shrouded in Hell flames. As the piercing red flames began to die away, she stepped forward revealing a black boot. Pushing aside the flames she emerged fully and Maki was gripped with fear at what he saw. Before he could even react to defend himself, not knowing what was happening, the black blade pierced his chest.

It was too late by the time the reinforcements arrived. All they saw was their Captain run her blade through her favorite soldier. It was a scene that horrified them all. Seeing red demon wings sprout from her back, they watched as she picked up five bodies and fly away from the palace. They looked on in shock at the destroyed courtyard and the actions their commanding officer had just taken. All of them were reluctant to say it out loud, but they knew, they had to inform the Princess.


	10. Hiding a Secret

There was a knock at her door. Setsuko's eyes blinked open to the sound disturbing her sleep. Looking over slowly, she stared out the open window for a few minutes, hearing the knocking off in the distance. Morning already. She didn't even realize that it had turned to night the night before. Turning back to the ceiling she slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes of sleep before fully getting out of bed. Mumbling to herself as she walked out of the bedroom, she opened the door to see Aoi and Isamu standing at her door. Looking between the two, she looked both confused and sleepy.

"What's going on?" she asked standing straighter.

They bowed in unison, "A letter has been received from your village. We're to escort you to the Kazekage's office," Isamu said as he stood back up.

She raised a brow, "Um, why?"

"With the recent attack on the two of you, Lord Kazekage simply wishes for you to be safe," Aoi answered as she to stood back up.

"No." she said manner of factly.

"What? Why not your Majesty?" Isamu questioned.

"That's none of your concern. Just have the letter delivered here please. Now if that's all, I wished to not be disturbed until you return with the letter," she replied and quickly shut the door in their faces.

Hearing the silence behind the door, she only assumed they had already left to retrieve the letter. Sighing to herself, she walked into the small kitchen to make herself some tea. As she stared down at what her hands were doing, she wondered what the letter could say. Had something happened? Were her people hurt in some way? She couldn't even imagine what the letter was going to tell her and she could feel her heart begin to race nervously. Her worry was quickly set aside when she heard the ceramic cup shatter on the floor. Looking down at the many pieces she felt a sense of dread well up in her mind. Maybe this was a bad omen.

Kneeling on the floor to pick up the broken shards, she heard a knock, "Come in."

"Your Majesty, we've returned with the letter," Aoi said as she walked in with Isamu in toe.

"Oh thank you," she said as she got up from the floor and threw away the broken cup.

"What happened?" Isamu asked.

Taking the letter from Aoi she looked over to him, "Hm? Oh nothing, just dropped a cup. Thank you."

The two ANBU silently left her room after giving her a respectful bow. Closing the door, she looked down at the letter with the crest of the Ice Guards on it. Slowly she walked to the couch and sat down, setting the scroll on the table. Was she afraid to open it? The minutes ticked by quickly as she heard the kettle begin to whistle causing her to jump. Getting up, she took it off the stove and poured herself a cup before walking back to the couch. Setting the new cup beside the scroll she took a deep breath and opened it.

_Princess Setsuko_

_ I heard all the details finally from Captain Hui. I'm so angry at her right now for not having told me ahead of time! I knew you were being sent away, but it's unforgivable that they left me out of the plan! However, I do understand a little about her decision. I've been put on leave for a while to sort out my problems according to Captain Hui. It's not the same here without you. I miss seeing your smile and hearing your childish laughter. You really do seem to make the best out of all your bad situations; ever since you were a kid. I hope this ends soon so we can see each other again._

_I love you._

Tears hit the scroll, warping the ink stained upon the paper. She could just see the smile on Maki's face as he wrote to her. Slowly her hands clenched around her clothes and she let her head hang low. Long blonde hair curtained her face as the tears flowed endlessly down her face. How she missed her home. Missed him. She wanted nothing more than to return home so she could embrace him once again. Gritting her teeth she grabbed the scroll and threw it across the room. This was so stupid! She had never done anything to have people try and kill her! All she had done was do what people had told her, all the time. Ever since she took the mantle of Princess she had never done anything for herself; always listening to what the elders told her. Now she was the target of assassination attempts and had to live in a miserable desert with its insufferable Kazekage watching her every move!

Completely ignoring the warm cup of tea on the table, she got up and walked back into the bedroom, slamming it behind her. No more! Flinging open the closet doors, she stared at the giant box containing the weapon of her village. She wouldn't be contained to what people told her anymore. She always tried to disobey the rules given to her, but yet she still conformed to them in the end; always doing what she was told. Pulling the box free she removed the massive two handed sickle and stared at it intently. Removing her clothes she got dressed in attire completely different from what was seen in her closet. Pulling a black mask over her face, she strapped the large weapon to her back and jumped out the fourth story window and onto a nearby rooftop.

* * *

"Gaara, you wanted to see me?" Temari asked as she entered his office.

Turning around in his chair he looked up at his sister, "Yes. Tsunade sent over some intel on one of the Akatsuki's hideouts near our borders. I want you to gather a team and check it out."

"The Akatsuki really?!" she asked in shock.

He nodded, "Yes. I want the team to be small and skilled at infiltration and stealth. We don't need any unnecessary risks."

"Right," she replied quickly leaving to gather the team she would use.

Pushing against his chair he stared up at the ceiling, thinking about what the team could possibly expect. There were too many possibilities to count when it came to the Akatsuki. The whole lot of them were skilled and dangerous. He dare even say they were the best of the best. Getting up from his chair, he walked to one of the many windows within his office and looked out at the village. Silently his wished his sister the best of luck on her mission, knowing he had given her one that could possibly get her killed. Crossing his arms across his chest he noticed a swift gleam of blue sting his eyes. What was she doing? Could it even be who he thought it was? There was only one way to find out.

Swiftly he left his office and made his way towards the inn held deep in their village. If it was who he thought it was then there was no telling how annoyed or even angry he would become. She was a troublesome woman and causing him nothing but annoyances. Gaara get out of the way! her voice rang in his ears as he remembered the other night. She had stepped in to save his life, not that his sand wouldn't have. His feet suddenly stopped walking as his thoughts began to wander. Why had she done such a thing for him? She could have easily been killed that night, so why did she push him away from the assassin? She had placed herself between him and the tip of their weapon, something not many people did for him, even now. So why did she? He looked up at the blazing sun and let his thoughts continue to wander to many different theories.

* * *

"Flash Freeze!" Setsuko's voice whispered as she appeared behind a ninja following after Temari and her team. Reaching out for him his body froze the moment her hand touched him.

The team stopped when they heard his screams before dying. Looking back, they all brandished weapons when they saw her drop silently on a branch behind them, "Who are you?" Temari asked suspiciously.

"Whoa, don't get all defensive," she said as she held up her hands in defense. "That guy was tailing you, I just saved your butts so you should be thanking me."

Temari pulled free her large fan, "I won't ask again."

"Geeze, save someone's life and this is how they repay you. Look, Gaara said this was a simple infiltration mission right? He sent me along to make sure it goes smoothly and none of you get killed," she lied, trying to get herself included in the mission.

"Tch, how can I believe that?" Temari scoffed, still holding her fan at the ready.

Setsuko rolled her eyes, sighing heavily. Turning to the left, she showed them her right hip which held both an ANBU mask and headband from Suna, "There. I think I'm perfectly qualified Miss Suspicious."

Temari glared at her but put her fan away, "Fine."

She, along with the rest of her team took off; back on track for their mission. Setsuko breathed a sigh of relief and soon followed after them, noting that she was just lucky that Temari had believed her at all. There was no way that trick would work on her a second time and she was almost certain to mention her appearance to Gaara when they returned. Oh well. It couldn't be helped now. She was stuck with them until the mission was complete and hopefully nothing would go wrong. She had never heard of these Akatsuki people before but considering how tense Temari and her team were, she only assumed they were exceptional.

* * *

Gaara finally made it to the inn where Setsuko was supposed to be. He had spent too much time letting his mind wander that he lost track of time. Trying to open her door after walking up the four flights of stairs, he took note that it was locked. Using the sand, he unlocked the door and looked around. The lights were off and everything was quiet. Walking inside he saw a scroll laying on the floor, a cup of cold tea on the table along with a few books. Walking into the bedroom he saw no one and heard no sounds. Lying on the bed were some of her clothes and a large open box. She was gone. His hands clenched, gripping onto his clothes tightly. Damn that woman!

* * *

"Tags set," Setsuko whispered to Temari from their position in the brush around the Akatsuki hideout.

"Alright, blow it," Temari whispered back with a nod of approval. Setsuko blew the explosive tags she had placed in the abandoned hideout, causing the ground beneath them to rumble. "Let's go home."

"What's the rush?" a bemused voice asked from the trees above them.

All of them looked up to see three people sanding in the trees above them. One of them was a young man who looked like he was dressed as part of a biker gang. He wore a black, sleeveless vest open and showing a light green midriff tank. A pair of long, baggy shorts covered his lower half while standard navy blue sandals covered his feet. His green hair was short and spiky, while his eyes were black sclera with blue irises. Fingerless gloves covered his hands and wrists that also showed off the numerous tattoos running along his upper body.

The other man looking down on them was obviously older then the other with his beard and height. He held his chocolate brown hair in a dreaded ponytail as his sinister brown eyes stared down at them, scowling. He wore no shirt and no shoes. Only a pair of pants with a loin cloth attached covered his muscular body that seemed to intimidate the other men around him. His glare was one of daggers and his silence was far more menacing than his stare. It was obvious to them all that he was a powerful opponent.

"Don't taunt the poor souls now. We want them to be fresh," the only woman with them retorted playfully as she smirked down at them. Her golden eyes looked upon them, burning malice into their very souls.

Her dark clothes were hard to see in the darkness of the night as she and her companions dropped down from the trees. Her boots were navy blue as well, her baggy shorts were just like her partner's except held up by a belt. She wore a maroon colored bikini top with a matching jacket, accentuating her body's full curves. Stepping into the moonlight, she grinned at them maliciously as she weaved hand signs to fast for their eyes to see.

"Wind Style: Petal Dance!" she exclaimed as petals began to swirl around her like a tornado before slamming into the group of ninja. "What's this?"

Temari smirked at her opponents, "You'll have to do better than that if you wanna defeat me." Slowly she moved her large fan out of the way, showing that she had protected her team.

"A Wind Style user huh!" the woman grunted with mock enthusiasm.

"Ooo Seira, got some competition," the young man of their group teased.

Turning swiftly to her teammate, she glared daggers at him, "Shut up Tao! What do you know about skill anyways, you lazy good for nothing!"

Tao shrugged as he stuck a finger in his ear, "Pfft! I don't need to have skill to beat people. I have a brain."

"What was that?!" Seira growled, bringing a trembling fist into the air. "Just shut your mouth and do your damn job!"

"Uh…." Temari and her team looked at the enemy ninja with confusion at their antics. "What's with them?" she asked Setsuko, not knowing it was her.

"Pfft, beats me," she replied with a shrug.

"Both of you knock it off!" the bigger man of their group roared, earning the attention of his teammates. "We have jobs to do, now stop acting like children and do them!" His eyes traveled to Setsuko, fixed on her and her weapon. This one is different. Her weapon, he thought to himself as he set his scowl upon her.

Setsuko's eyes widened, "Quick get back!" she shouted as she and the rest of the team jumped a few feet away just before a large explosion almost cost them their lives.

They looked on as the dust cloud began to clear. The team gasped as they saw the crater that was where they were just standing. Temari looked over to the masked newbie on their team and wondered just who she was. She had seen the attack coming, just before it happened. Not even she, a Jonin, had felt anything. Something about the girl didn't completely sit right with her. Although, she was wearing an ANBU mask so it couldn't be unheard of it she were able to sense things they couldn't. ANBU were the more experienced shinobi. Looking back up at their opponents, she could tell they were strong just from this one display that the biggest of the three had done. Well, if that were the case then she'd just have to go all out. She smirked as she bit into her finger and smeared the blood along her giant fan.


	11. Life of Snow

**A/N: We're starting to get to the niddy griddy from this chapter. Things are gonna start hitting a climax soon, which probably means an end. Sad, but inevitable. It's still quite a few chapters away, but with this one everything is gonna start changing. Although I guess technically that started last chapter with Maki's death and all, but why get technical? I'm actually excited because I like the ending to this story a lot.**

**The song is Never Alone by Barlowgirl**

**Read. Review. Well actually, you're already reading, so just review please. I haven't asked in the previous chapters, and was okay watching how many read, followed and favorited (which is awesome that people have put it in their favorites, thank you) but some feedback of some kind would occasionally be nice. Although, please don't flame and whine. Those are just annoying. Thank you! **

* * *

"Lord Kazekage," Aoi spoke as she slowly entered his office.

Gaara's green eyes looked up from his desk a moment then back down, "Yes Aoi?"

She stood in front of his desk, watching him write and read papers, "I just thought I should let you know that Princess Setsuko has been sneaking out every night for the past week."

He stopped writing after hearing her words, slowly looking up at her with the same stoic expression as always, "I know."

"You do sir?" she questioned, curious as to how he knew.

He leaned back in his chair a little, "It seems she has a desire to go on missions."

Aoi looked at him in shock, "Sir? That's ridiculous! Does she realize how dangerous that is?! She could get herself killed and if that happens under our watch…"

"Things could indeed get complicated," he finished, lacing his fingers together in front of his mouth.

"Lord Kazekage!" a young man shouted as he burst through the door.

Gaara looked over Aoi's shoulder to look at him, 'What is it?"

"Lady Setsuko has received word from home. It's marked as urgent," he said as he handed Gaara the scroll.

Taking the scroll, he looked it over, "Alright, Aoi, summon the Princess."

"Yes sir," she said with a bow and disappeared.

It was a long wait before Setsuko came walking through his office doors. She looked as if she were just relaxing at home in her simple cream colored summer dress. It was a tone that didn't even come close to matching her pale skin, which only made it stand out all that much more. Her hair was done in a messy ponytail with strands falling to frame her face. She didn't look to be in serious condition from all her late night runaways from the village, hiding her secret well.

"You wished to see me?" she questioned as she walked up to his desk.

Turning to face her, the moonlight shining from behind him, "Yes, you received a scroll from home."

Her eyes widened happily, "What? Really?!" she asked with an excited squeal. He handed the scroll to her with which she readily opened.

He remained silent as he watched her read the contents written to her. It was sudden when the temperature dropped drastically in the room. Gaara noticed that her normally elegant posture disappeared and she hung her head low enough that he could no longer see her face. Even he couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine from the bone chilling cold in his office. Had something happened? Getting up from his seat, he walked towards her only to have her back away. Looking down at her hands, he watched as she clenched the paper tightly, crumpling it. Something must have happened to garnish such a reaction. Suddenly she looked up, surprising him a little. Her normal posture returned and a look of calm covered her face.

"Thank you." That was all she said before dropping the scroll and walking out of his office calmly.

Watching her retreating back silently, he looked down at his feet when the door had closed. Picking up the scroll, he allowed his curiosity to get the better of him and opened it. Reading it, he was filled with shock. There had been a battle at the castle that left the courtyard in utter disaster, Captain Hui had disappeared and this Maki person had been murdered. To get such a reaction, this person must have meant something to her. Placing the scroll on his desk, he grabbed the gourd that leaned again the wall and left to follow Setsuko. It was none of his business but at the same time he felt a compulsion to make her feel better.

It wasn't long after having arrived back at her hotel room that Setsuko heard a knock on the door. She was still leaning against it as the person knocked. Why were they bothering her now? Of all times. All she wanted was to be left alone! All she needed was some alone time to figure out what was going on and what to do next. That was all she needed. Why couldn't they understand that? Her head rested against the door, the knocking echoing in her ears but never hearing it. Staring up at the dull ceiling, her empty eyes never truly saw the ceiling. Setsuko wanted nothing more than to close herself off from the world, never to be seen again. She wanted to return to the icy blizzards of her home and sit on her balcony to watch the shards crash against mountainsides. She wanted to be anywhere but here.

She wasn't allowed to show emotions. They were unbecoming of a princess and future queen. She always had to be proper and keep her emotions in check to effectively rule her kingdom. If emotions clouded her judgment, her kingdom would fall to chaos. Finally her head fell forward, allowing for her long, luscious blonde locks to curtain her face. Who was she kidding? She was nothing like them. She was eighteen for crying out loud! Emotion was all she knew. Yet still, she needed to be composed in front of others. She could mourn by herself. As she slowly brought her head up, eyes still empty, she could finally hear the knocking again.

Setsuko slowly opened the door, "Yes?" Her voice was calm, maybe too calm for the situation.

Gaara walked in without a word, brushing past her and placing the scroll on the coffee table. There was a long silence before he spoke, "I hope you don't mind, but I read it."

"Oh…" she paused as she slowly closed the door, "No, I don't mind." She turned and walked towards him, trying not to be rude.

Gaara crossed his arms across his chest, "If I may, who was this Maki?" He watched as she visibly flinched at his name.

"He was…he was a solider under Hui's command. Actually, he was her student in kenjutsu…" she paused again, taking in a deep breath through her nose and slowly exhaling. "He was a nice man. Always making sure I was okay, but then again it was his job. He was a fine soldier. He cared very deeply for his comrades."

"I see…" Gaara let the silence between them swell, thinking to himself.

He noticed that she never once mentioned his name. There had to be a reason for it. Was it because she cared for this Maki guy? He also couldn't help but notice the obvious; she was acting just like him. Setsuko showed no emotion whatsoever. That wasn't normal for her, he knew that much. In the time she had been here, it was nothing but emotions running wild; like having a slightly calmer Naruto around. So why? Why was she acting like she didn't care?

"He must not have meant that much if you can't even shed a tear for him," he said, finally cutting the silence.

Green eyes watched as she jumped slightly from the sound of his voice. It was a moment later that her head shot up, a look of frustrated anger on her face, "What do you know?! You don't anything about him, or me!"

Setsuko shut her eyes tight and spun around on her heels, running towards the door. Flinging it open, it slammed against the wall as she ran out, leaving Gaara standing in the room by himself and a little startled by the outburst. The startled look soon faded from his features as he stood in quiet for a good long while. It had been his intention to stir her emotions because he knew holding them in was no good. However, he did not expect such an outburst. Then again, what he had said was maybe a little cruel. Sighing to himself, he began to make his way out of the room. He should go apologize.

Gaara searched for hours, the early night finally turning to dark, and yet he still hadn't been able to find her. Looking through the village, there was no sign of the Princess who stood out against the crowd of desert dwellers. It wasn't until he noticed a strange silhouette sitting atop the canyon walls that he found her. Turning to look over his shoulder, he saw the faintest of figures; one that looked like Setsuko. Trying to figure out if it was indeed her, a nightly desert wind blew through the village. He watched as the figure's long, pale blonde hair blow around their small body that he was sure it was her. Quietly, he made his way up the canyon and as he got closer he could hear one of the most beautiful voices he had ever heard singing.

"I needed you today. So where did you go? You told me to call. Said you'd be there. And though I haven't seen you, are you still there? I cried out with no reply, and I can't feel you by my side. So I'll hold tight to what I know. You're here, and I'm never alone," tears ran freely down pale cheeks as her voice died away. The sweet, sad and haunting melody somehow brought comfort to Gaara. He watched silently as she looked up at the full moon, another gust of wind blowing through her long locks and more tears flowing down her face.

He was almost afraid to say anything. Silently, he sat down beside her, not bothering to look at her, "…That was a bitter sweet song."

She slowly closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath and oddly enough, a smile slowly slid across her pink lips, "Thanks. Someone used to sing it to me when I was little." Her voice cracked and she had no choice but to clear her throat.

"Who was he?" Gaara asked, even though he knew the last time he asked she had yelled at him.

Setsuko looked down at her hands, everything still blurry from her tears. A fresh wave sprang forth and she could feel her throat starting to hurt from trying to hold them back. "Do you remember the other night when I started to tell you about an old legend in my village?"

It had been a while since the night she was talking about but the memory still ran through his mind, "Yes."

"Well, the legend is about a giant cryophoenix named Yukiuta. The legend goes that, Aisugakure was founded by Yukiuta who ruled over the mountain tops. She commanded all that is cold. Although a technical demon bird, Yukiuta was a kind and gentle soul who actually wanted to live in harmony with man. The first people to ever inhabit the northern mountains were the ones to build Aisugakure, with the help of Yukiuta. It's said she created True Ice, ice that never melts and is impervious to most damage, to defend ourselves with. Our homes are even built with her True Ice; well, most of them. But, as it happens, those with power feel they need more. The first family stole Yukiuta's power during her rebirthing cycle, separating them into two entities. The first family took the power, placing it within themselves so that their heirs would always be powerful, while Yukiuta's body was weakened and left severely damaged. She vowed to get revenge on the first family when he body and powers finally merged back." Setsuko paused, looking up from her hands and finally letting her gaze rest on the red head that sat beside her.

He nodded, "Power consumes…" He knew the feeling well. While he never craved more power than he had, he already had enough power that he didn't want anymore.

"Anyways, it's unclear when, or how, but the entire royal family was eventually wiped out. It's said the merging that was supposed to happen, never did. There's speculation that their own power hungry greed corrupted the power inside of them causing them to freeze the very blood that ran through their veins, killing them…" she was about to continue when Gaara cut in with his curiosity.

"But how can that be if you're the Princess?" he sat back a little, leaning on his hands for support and looking up at the moon. "If the entirety of the royal family was erased, how can there be a Princess?"

She chuckled lightly, turning her gaze back to her hands that played with the dress she was wearing. "That's because I'm not." She felt his eyes upon her almost immediately. "I was born very low on my clan's hierarchy. My mother was a famous ninja in our village, but that didn't allow us to climb any social ladders. But with the decimation of the royal family, the two halves of Yukiuta that were once hosted in the royal family and villagers alike, are now randomly chosen by the entities themselves. One person could be given the power of Yukiuta, which would make them immediate royalty. While one, could have her body and no one would ever know."

"I see, so then are you born with this power, or given it afterwards?" he asked, truly curious about this custom he never knew existed.

"I was four, living all alone in an orphanage on the outskirts of my village. I was actually a pretty lonely kid. I never spoke much, or interacted with people. Always bullied and made fun of; kids would always whisper about me behind my back. I was that new kid that no one ever likes at first. Unlike most of the kids there, I knew at least one of my parents and they hated me for it. Well, in that first year I saw a snowflake falling towards me. It's always snowing so normally I wouldn't think much of it, but this particular snowflake was glowing. It hovered in front of my face for a moment before disappearing into my body and now…." she paused as she bit lightly into her bottom lip. Her hands rubbed together before slowly opening and she blew into her hands, instantly spreading snow over the village.

Gaara watched the snowflakes float over Suna, giving the night covered village an almost snow globe mysticism about it. "Why did you become the ruler?"

For the moment her eyes watched the snow drift through the desert wind with such childlike delight, they returned to the sorrow laced look he had seen most of the night, "I didn't have a choice. Once word got back to the palace that they had found where the power was, I was whisked away to learn how to rule and…become this. And I had to leave him behind…"

"Who?" Gaara was more curious now. She had just said that she didn't have any friends from the orphanage, so who could she be talking about?

She was hesitant at first, almost embarrassed to say anything since it was a secret they kept. But could it really hurt to say something now? "Maki. He lived at the orphanage with me. In fact, he was there about a year before I was." Her piercing, bright blues welled with tears again as she let herself get lost in memories.


	12. Stay Forever

**A/N: Flashback chapter! Sorry this one is kinda shorter than normal but it's mostly just to establish some of the things Setsuko might talk about in later chapters.**

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Crackling flames danced in the middle of the quiet snow covered village. Far from most other homes and people, the tiny burning house fell apart bit by bit. Ashen smoke rose up high, turning what snow that fell into a black blanket. Roaring flames barely covered the sound of wooden beams falling to the ground with thunderous thuds. A bone chilling wind blew through the house only making the flames climb higher. Feet away from the destroyed house, a little girl sat on her knees clutching a soot covered book and crying. Her salty tears cut through the snow beneath her making tiny holes in each place they dropped. Her tiny fingers curled around the book as tight as they could go, never planning on letting the object go. A loud, drawn out creak made her look up to see the support beam of the house fall over and topple most of the house with it. More tears flowed from her eyes as she screamed in pain and sadness.

Medium length, platinum blonde hair fell from its ponytail to drape around the little girl's shoulders, her big, innocent, blue eyes pink and puffy from the crying. She sat in the snow barefoot and in nothing but a small blue kimono with a white obi sash, covered head to toe in soot and burns. Her tiny body only shook from the waterfall of tears that the let run from her eyes, the cold not even a concern for her. Shaking her head, her hair bouncing around in the process, she tried to make it seem like a nightmare but every time she would open her eyes again she would see nothing but reality. It couldn't be real!

"Daddy!" the little girl screamed at the top of her lungs, as if calling to him would miraculously save him. He had run in to save her after she went to save the book she now clutched in her small hands.

Wiping her eyes, she slowly began to stand. Her legs shook and buckled, causing her to fall back to her knees in the powder soft snow. All her crying had caused her to become weak. Feeling tired and unable to keep her drying eyes open anymore, she closed them, falling over in the process. The book lay between her short arms while her almost white hair seemed to blend with the snow around her; the only thing to distinguish her from the snow was her blue kimono. Long after the fire had begun to die on its own feet appeared beside the little girl. An older man, with graying black hair, looked down at her with such sorrow in his blue eyes. Slowly he bent down and picked her up, making sure to take the book she seemed to cling to as well.

The feeling of swaying caused the little girl to let her eyes flutter open. Her eyes looked towards the grey sky above them, watching snow fall to the earth around them. A beautiful silence often befell the village with the snowfall. The villagers attributed it to the death of a person because it often happened after death. It didn't even have to be people from their village, if someone died, the heavens cried for them. Although she wanted to cry and scream, her body wouldn't let her. It was as if she had gone numb; unable to move or speak.

"Oh, so you're awake," the old man said with a smile. She didn't say a word. "You had me worried for a minute there. Falling asleep in the snow like that, you'll catch your death if you do such crazy things!" She stared at him but never once replied to him. "What's your name little one?" he asked, looking at her with a sweet look only an old man could give.

"Setsuko." Her reply was short and quiet, nothing more and nothing less.

"Well Setsuko, I hope you don't mind but I'm taking you to a place where you'll never be alone again," he said as they walked through the village, Setsuko still covered in soot.

At first, Setsuko had no idea what he meant. The grip on her book tightened as she thought about being alone for the rest of her life. She was orphaned now; no one would ever be there for her again. She had no family and no friends. There was just emptiness where there should be love. How could this old man change any of that? Her parents left her alone in the world to fend for herself; nothing could change that. Blue eyes flickered up to see a big imposing building made of ice and snow. It almost looked like a castle with its pointed roof tops and arched stained glass windows. The big double doors swung open and were far bigger than either of them could ever hope to be in their lives. Standing in the threshold of the building was a stern, sickly looking old woman with long stringy hair and boney fingers. Her eyes were a dull shade of blue from aging and looked as if they cared little for anyone or anything. She held a cane with a beautiful crystal snowflake on the top and tapped it against the echoing stones to grab the attention of a much younger woman walking across the courtyard that seemed to lay behind the doors.

When the two of them reached the doors, the old man set Setsuko down to stand on her own two feet. Looking up at the old woman from her 3'1" stature, she couldn't help cower behind the old man. Her body still had trouble staying still from the crying fit she had only moments ago, causing her to tremble against the man's leg. With bangs covering most of her blotchy face, she looked past the old woman when she saw kids running around the courtyard. There was laughter and smiles from many of them. Setsuko couldn't remember the last time she had heard the voices of other children; her father and her lived too far away from the village to really interact with many people. Without realizing it, a hand gripped hers and started puling her closer to the giant building and crowd of kids. Looking back at the old man, he was already gone, as if he had never even been there.

"We'll get you cleaned up before meeting the other kids okay?" the young woman holding her hand said as she guided Setsuko through the courtyard.

"There's no need for that. She's more than capable of meeting the other children now," the old woman spat in a voice only befitting a witch. She stole Setsuko's hand from the younger woman and harshly dragged her over to the other children, ushering them in with a few strikes of her cane. "Children!" she called, earning their undivided attention. "This is Setsuko Ayani, she's a new arrival. Make her feel welcome."

With that introduction, Setsuko stared at all the eyes staring back at her. Some looked like they felt for her and others just glared, but with the statement made by the head of the orphanage, she couldn't help but feel tears begin to brim her eyes. Tearing her hand out of the older woman's, Setsuko ran away from the crowd even though she had no idea where she was going, she just had to get away. She ran and ran and ran, for who knows how long. Her little body gained as much distance as it could before it began to hurt and collapsed. She slid down against a snow covered tree and began to sob. Her knees were tucked against her chest, head buried in them as she cried and cried. She screamed as loud as she could, her voice breaking every few seconds from the strain. She just couldn't believe that her father was gone! Having never known her mother, it seemed even more heartbreaking that she was now left all alone in the world. In the moments she had to suck in air to keep herself from suffocating, she heard a voice calling to her; it was soothing, warm, almost motherly.

The voice called her name like a song, echoing in her ears. It told her to look up, to show her beautiful face and so, she did so. As she let her eyes wander up, Setsuko saw the strangest thing her three year old eyes had ever seen. There before her, was a glowing snowflake, almost as big as her head. The ornate details in each limb, the glittering reflection of the nonexistent sunlight; everything about it caused her to stop. She didn't know what it was, but something compelled her to touch the snowflake. The very odd, glowing snowflake. With eyes full of awe and wonder, she slowly let her hand stretch out and touched it every so gently. Suddenly, the ice made beauty reacted by circling around a few times rapidly before Setsuko watched it disappear into her body.

Her head snapped up when she heard voices coming her way. "Hey! New kid," a kid shouted, jogging over to her. She watched as three older kids made their way to her quickly, looking at her with strange looks; all three of them were boys. "Hey, how old are you?"

"…Three…" she answered quietly, hesitating in her words because she was unsure of what they wanted with her. The one that looked to be the leader, as he was standing in front of the other two talking to her, was much taller than her with white hair and piercing, deep, dark blue eyes.

The boy towered over her even though he was no older than ten or eleven and Setsuko felt a sense of dread deep in her gut. His once mock playful look turned into a scowl and it was all directed at her, "So you knew your parents huh?"

Setsuko fidgeted under his gaze as it bore holes into the top of her head, "Mm…just my daddy…" she replied slowly, still uneasy. Suddenly she was pushed to the ground, looking up at the boys with curious fear.

"Well aren't you just the lucky one, eh _Princess_?" he teased angrily as he violently pushed her down. He straddled her tiny legs as one hand gripped at the collar of her kimono tightly and a fist rose above his head.

"Wh-wha-what do you mean?" she squeaked in terror as she looked at the angry fire raging in his eyes, reminding her of only hours before. What was she supposed to do? She had never been in a situation like this before. All that she knew was that her body was frozen and she was terrified.

His scowl only deepened at her question. "I mean that you're the only one here to know either of your parents. That's more than the rest of us have!" he yelled, his fist clenching tighter and his knuckles whitening. Setsuko's eyes widened when she saw his fist rapidly descending towards her face, unable to react and understand his reasoning.

The boy's fist slammed against the side of her face, snapping her neck to the side. After processing the hit, her only known action was to start crying. She didn't know how to defend herself. She didn't know how to prevent herself from crying and take a hit like it didn't bother her; she was three years old, she didn't understand much. What she did understand was a strange feeling bubbling inside of her, like the rage of a caged beast that wanted nothing more than to rip apart the people that taunted it. She could feel it, slowly creeping up further with every hit after the first. Even though she was sure she was barely conscious after the first three, she could still understand, she could feel. Never in her life had she been in a fight and she never once had to be scared that her life was in danger, however, today seemed to be the exception. Her life had been in danger twice now.

"Stop!" her apparently sobbing voice choked out. She was in hysterics as she felt something different then a punch hit her. A swift, sharp pain to her gut caused the wind to be knocked out of her and that feeling that was boiling to the surface to be freed. The wind around her began to howl and rage like a blizzard as the soft powder around her turned to sharp shards of ice.

The boy that was holding her instantly let go, not understanding was what happening, "What the hell?"

"Hey!" a new voice shouted from behind them. A boy came running up to the scene and instantly punched the boy that had been harassing Setsuko without giving a warning. "Back off the new kid!" he scowled at all three of them. Turning to her, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and smiled, "From today to forever, she's under my protection," his head whipped around to glare daggers at the boys, "If I ever see any of you touch her again…I'll rip you apart." He watched the boys run and turned back to Setsuko.

Hunched over and trying to keep whatever was happening to her at bay, she didn't notice the newcomer until he placed his gentle touch on her shoulder. She looked up and was greeted with a smile, "Wh-who are you?" she asked, tears still running down her face.

The boy beamed at her, "Maki. I'll be your protector forever Setsuko." He helped her to her feet and continued to smile down at her.

"You…you know my name?" she asked, blushing.

"Well, that old bag that runs this place did say it in front of everyone," he chuckled with a shrug. Looking at her, he sympathetically wiped her tears away, never once tearing his gaze away from her eyes, "One day, you and I are going to get married!" His gentle smile turned into a cheeky, confident and toothy grin after this sentence and Setsuko couldn't help but just stare silently.


	13. Loneliness of Sand

**A/N: A continuation of chapter 11. Like, literally. I broke up the chapter because then it would have been WAY too long and felt drawn out. So, enjoy!**

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Gaara glanced at her, seeing the fresh tears slip past her eyes. This was probably going to be the wrong thing to think but, even in her saddened state there was a beauty about her that was foreign to him. Well in all honesty, women in general were foreign to him. He didn't know how to act, or what to say to them. They had never been a priority to him. Just three years ago he was a mass murdering psychopath who only cared about himself so it would only stand to reason that he didn't really care about women, at the time. Also, it probably was no help that he had Temari, of all people, as a sister. She was way to tomboyish and angry to even really consider a woman; plus she was his sister. It might be weird if he started considering her a woman. Even though she is, it just felt wrong to think of her like that. He felt a disgusted shiver run up his spine at the thought; yes, it was really weird.

Looking away from her, he wondered what it was like to love someone. What true love was. For most of his life he had only loved himself, never giving any to other people because he knew they didn't love him in return. Things were different now, weren't they? He was a different person and he loved his village and its people. But, was that true love? Was that the same kind of love shared between two people? It's not like he would know, he had never experienced such affections before. How could he really compare the two when he didn't know how either of them worked or felt? Leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees, he allowed himself to look at Setsuko again. It looked as if her tears had stopped for the most part, but to feel so much pain for someone. Was that love? He tried to wonder what it would feel like to lose his brother or sister and found himself simply unable too.

"What about your Captain Hui?" he found himself asking suddenly.

Setsuko wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and looked at him, "I'm worried about her also but…she's a very capable woman."

He was silent at her response, taking in her words. Hui had definitely seemed capable when he met her. Her imposing, yet exotic beauty had been breathtaking. She carried herself with such confidence and poise that the air around her was deadly. He had felt himself a little on guard when around her. The look in her eyes also spoke volumes of the kinds of things she's seen and done. Wait, what was he thinking? If he didn't know any better, and he probably didn't, it seemed like he might have a crush on her. Was that even possible for him? No, impossible. And on someone he doesn't even know. He somehow couldn't help the way his thumbs fidgeted together as he thought about her and her disappearance.

Setsuko stared at him, watching him. Her eyes traveled to his hands and noticed him twiddling his thumbs, then looked back at him with a smile creeping on her lips. Breaking Gaara from his thoughts, she suddenly began laughing, loudly. "What?"

She continued to laugh, taking in sharp breaths so she wouldn't suffocate, "I'm not laughing at you I swear!" There was a pause as she continued to laugh and think about what she just said. "No, no, never mind. I am laughing at you."

He gave her a look of befuddlement, "I don't-Why?"

She waved her hands as she tried to settle her laughter, "You've got to be the only one in existence to have a crush on Hui! I think that's hilarious for so many different reasons."

His look of befuddlement never left his face but it was now accompanied by a blush, "Why?"

"Wow! Mmm, how old are you exactly?" she asked, finally calming down enough to be able to carry on a conversation that didn't involve random sentences that confused the poor man.

"Seventeen. What does that have to do with anything?" he asked, almost immediately after his answer she was laughing again. Women really would confuse him for the rest of his life.

Setsuko placed a hand on his knee, smiling as she tried to hold back her laughter, "Oh Gaara, she's like…ten years older than you, if not a few more. You have no chance."

The blush grew a little deeper as his brows knitted together, "I never said I had feelings for her."

"Uh huh…" the hand that rested on his knee removed itself and she poked his blushing cheek. "That's why you're so red in the face, because you don't have the biggest crush I've ever seen on her." She giggled, "Besides, why would you have a crush on her anyways?! She's a grumpy, temperamental old lady. Wait, actually I could see that part, you two have the grumpy thing down."

Gaara stood, "This subject is done." He felt embarrassed to say the least, but he would never let it show as his impassive features returned once again.

She looked up at him, "What? Oh come on! Was I really that harsh?" Quickly she stood, dusting herself off and latching onto his arm, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I just think it's really funny is all because I know the woman. You have no chance, you should go for someone more your age."

"…." he couldn't bring himself to say anything. Never in his life had he had a woman this closet to him. Even through his clothes he could feel the sting of her icy flesh against his and her heartbeat from between her…well he could feel it anyways. Slowly he pulled his arm away, getting no resistance from Setsuko. "…I'll walk you back…" he muttered, looking away from her as if not looking at her would stop the pounding in his own chest.

"Oh, okay." Setsuko smiled at him even though he wasn't looking at her.

Without saying anything to each other, the two teenagers walked down the canyon path that led to the village. The sound of their sandals crunching against sand granules was their only reprieve from the silence that enveloped them. Neither of them minded that there was a still silence around them, but it still helped to alleviate any tension there might have been. Setsuko folded her arms in front of her body, right hand over her left, and looked up at the night sky with its sea of stars. Gaara glanced over at her, watching as her eyes stared above her. A light breeze passed by them, rustling their hair and clothes. He watched as Setsuko's bangs moved out of her face, allowing his eyes to properly see hers and how they twinkled with each star they looked upon.

He shook his head. What was he thinking? She was beautiful and that was all, there was nothing else about her that should grab his attention this much. His thoughts flashed back to when she tried to slap him. Why, of all his memories, did he choose to think of that one? There was nothing special about that memory. His mind continued to wander through that night and a he felt his face heat up again. An image of a sleeping Setsuko, wet from playing in the ocean, held fast in his thoughts. Why was his mind suddenly being so perverted? He wasn't like that! Was he? He had never been with a woman before, never kissed one, and never…been intimate with one. It's not like he would really know if he were perverted or not. He was just being crazy. The sight of a crying girl always did strange things to men, or so he's observed.

By the time he had come out of his thoughts and back into reality they were passing by the small play area kids frequented. A tiny sandbox with a swing and extra room to play, that was all it was. He remembered it well. This was the place he would come to watch people and try, desperately try, to get people to be friends with him. The creak from the old swing brought his attention to it, same with Setsuko. It seemed that a little girl was sitting on it all by herself, looking very sad. The little girl looked up when she heard them walking by, her eyes seemingly getting wide as she looked at them.

"Oh my gosh! Mister Kazekage," she greeted with a respectful bow after having jumped off the swing and rushed over to them. Gaara said and did nothing.

Setsuko elbowed him in the arm and he looked down at her sharply, still not knowing what to say. "What's your name little one?" Setsuko had decided she would speak instead.

The little girl, with big green eyes, looked up at her and smiled, "My name is Tobari. What's yours?"

"Tobari, that's a beautiful name!" Setsuko knelt down so she would be on equal level with the girl and smiled. "My name is Setsuko. It's so nice to meet you."

"You're really pretty," Tobari sighed as she looked at her with awe in her eyes.

Setsuko couldn't help but giggle, Gaara saying nothing as he watched them interact. "Thank you, but I shouldn't get all the credit. You're beautiful yourself ya know."

Tobari seemed to drop her head and look down at her feet, "That's not true…"

"What? Of course it is! Whoever told you otherwise has been lying to you." Setsuko gasped as she heard the words spoken by Tobari, amazed that someone would tell such a little girl she wasn't pretty. "Why are you out here all alone Tobari?"

She looked up at them, glancing at Gaara before turning her full attention to Setsuko, "Um, my sister is out on a mission and I don't have any friends."

Setsuko let her head lull to the side in a curious manner, "What about your parents?"

Tobari shook her head, "I don't have any."

"I see…" she was quiet for a moment before smiling. "Well you're not alone Tobari! The Kazekage and I are orphans too."

The little girl looked up with wide eyes, "Really?"

"Yep! And he's head of your village and I'm a Princess. Don't get so down, I'm sure when you're older, you'll do amazing things too." Setsuko put a gentle hand on her shoulder to reassure her. She leaned in close with a mischievous grin, "Then you can rub it in the faces of everyone whoever hurt you." Gaara sighed and shook his head disapprovingly.

Tobari giggled. "Are you really a Princess?" she asked excitedly.

"You betcha! Princess Setsuko Ayani of Aisugakure," she beamed, saying her full title.

"Wow! I wish I could be a Princess!" Tobari sighed, daydreaming of what she would look like as a Princess. "By the away," she said suddenly, coming out of her daydream, "Are you guys on a date?"

Gaara was about to say 'no' when Setsuko cut in before he could, "Yes, we are!" At her answer, he crossed his arms across his chest and looked away from them, almost in a huff.

"I'm glad," she said, smiling up at the two of them.

"Why is that?" Setsuko asked, curious as to the girl's answer and romantic smile.

"Well, I know Mister Kazekage is always so lonely. Whenever I see him, we always have the same eyes. They look lost, lonely and desperately crying out for someone. It's nice, when people can see past titles and mistakes, and see who you really are…" she replied, her eyes traveling to the sand and a look of sorrow on her face. To say the two teens were surprised by her answer, would be an understatement.

Setsuko watched her for a minute before reaching around her neck and pulling off a necklace. She held it up for Tobari to see. It had a silver chain with a matching silver pendant, and in the middle of the pendant was a dragon seemingly made of ice. "This is the ice dragon, the official crest of the Princess." She paused as she placed it around Tobari's neck, "Now whenever anyone makes fun of you, you can show them this and say the Princess of Aisugakure has made you into an honorary Princess. And if they want to keep their lives, they shouldn't disobey a Princess."

Tobari's eyes lit up and a giant smile spread across her face, "Wow, you meant it?!" Setsuko smiled and nodded. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Tobari hugged her and ran off.

"Why did you give her your necklace?" he asked, watching the little girl's form get smaller and smaller.

Setsuko shrugged, "My mom gave it to me before she died as a way of remembering that she's always there for me. I think, Tobari, needs it more than I do. She's still really young, and with only her older sister to take care of her, she needs to be reminded that she's not alone."

Gaara looked over at the smiling teen, amazed that she would give away such a precious gift to someone she didn't know. The way she talked to the little girl and handled the situation; he was impressed. He had never been good at talking to children; they always asked such difficult questions. She handled it like it was an everyday occurrence. Maybe women were just born with the gift of talking to children. No, that couldn't be true because Temari was terrible at it. Setsuko finally turned to him, ready to continue their way back to the inn when she noticed him just staring at her. Gaara blinked and immediately looked away, earning a small chuckle from Setsuko.

When the two of them finally made it back to the inn, it was too close to sunrise for Setsuko. She had been yawning the whole time they were walking back, while Gaara was fine without sleeping. He walked her back to her room, having her practically falling over from exhaustion. It was painfully obvious that she wasn't used to long nights. Thankfully she was awake enough to open the door on her own, and he wasn't left having to do everything for her. Gaara didn't bother walking inside because he knew she was going to go straight to bed with the way she had been ready to fall over and sleep on their way there.

He was turning to leave when an icy hand caught his. He could feel the sting of their different temperatures and looked down at his hand, seeing her pale skin against his slightly tanner skin. Slowly he let his eyes wander up to her face, "Gaara, wait please."

He was as silent as stone.

"I…" she paused, taking the time to look up at him and then back to the floor. She seemed to be wrestling with something internally. "Sorry…never mind." She let go of his hand and gently closed the door in his face.

It only took a few steps before he heard Setsuko crying. Soft whimpers came from her room and he felt his feet stop dead in the middle of the hall. What should he do? Should he go back and comfort her? She did just receive terrible news and parted with her most valued treasure, she must be in so much pain. Even if his body somehow moved back to her room, how could he comfort her? He didn't know the first thing about comforting someone. His body had just reacted when he went searching for her earlier in the night, but now, he was actually thinking things through. There was nothing he could offer her that might help her feel any better. A hand came to his chest, gripping at his clothes tightly in the area where his heart would be. Forcefully, he made his way out of the inn, blocking the sounds of her crying from his mind.

Setsuko rested her head against the door, her eyes closed. Now that she was alone again, she could let her pent up feeling free. And freed they were. Without any effort, tears dripped from her eyes and her whole body began to shake. She had played the well poised Princess enough for tonight; she just wanted to be herself now. Slowly removing herself from the door, she made her way into the bedroom, tears still falling, and let her body just collapse. Her face lay in her pillow and the sky began to turn orange. She would probably sleep most of the day from being up all night with no sleep. It was something she hadn't done before and the moment her head hit the pillow, her crying stopped and she had passed out.


	14. Family is Everything

**A/N: A pure Gaara chapter! Had to give my favorite redhead some love ya know? Not gonna lie, towards the end of this chapter even I almost melted at the cute moment; and I'm the one who wrote it!**

* * *

Gaara sat in his office silently. He had told everyone not to disturb him as he was very busy, but that wasn't true. In fact, he wasn't that busy at all. The stacks of papers and scrolls were almost gone, his desk almost barren. In all honesty, he was simply distracted. His mind had not been his own for most of the morning and well into the afternoon. Every time anyone would try and enter his office, he would yell at them to go away unless it was a dire situation. Placing his head in his hands, he sighed heavily, his eyes staring at the document beneath him. While his pen sat beside him, nothing had been written or stamped on the document, his mind completely elsewhere then on his work. Why was he so distracted today? Last night had not been anything special and yet his mind couldn't stop thinking about it.

An image of Setsuko's crying face flashed in his mind. All the hurt and sorrow etched onto her normally happy features was painful for him to look at. This man, this Maki, was someone truly special to her. She obvious treasured him if his death broke her this much. But why did it bother him that she felt such a way for a dead man? Why was he even feeling anything towards a woman he barely knew? Even after becoming a hero and loved by his village, he still didn't know what it meant to be loved by another person. Yashamaru had said that the only way to heal a wounded heart was by the love given from another person. He still hadn't received anything like that. Was he still craving that kind of connection, even now, after so many years? His heart had started to feel a little better when his brother and sister no longer feared him and started treating him like a normal person, but maybe there was still something missing.

Running his hands through his hair a couple of times in exasperated annoyance, he brought his head up and just stared at the walls around him. He didn't understand anything he was thinking about. It was a subject he knew nothing about. With a dejected sigh he got up from his chair and walked to one of the many windows. Leaning against the wall, he stared out at the village blankly. He couldn't ask either of his siblings for help, Temari was too much of a man and Kankuro didn't really seem to care much in the way of feelings. Who could he ask for help on the subject? Even his best friend was out of the question. That bumbling idiot didn't know a thing about love either; otherwise Sakura might actually like him. He would need either someone older than him, who had the experience, or a genius. But it wasn't like he could send a scroll to them just because he needed advice on personal matters.

The red head crossed his arms across his chest and sighed again. He was at a loss. He couldn't understand what was happening with his mind and he couldn't go asking the only two people that might actually be able to help him. It seemed that he would have to settle. Did that mean he was desperate? No, Gaara desperate? It was unheard of. His head dropped, he wasn't fooling anyone, especially himself. He was indeed desperate. Pulling away from the window, he left his office in one swift motion. They had the day off, after a week nonstop of missions. But finding them would be a little more difficult. He wasn't sure on their habits when they had the day off.

* * *

Temari sighed happily, sinking lower into the nearly boiling water. Her blonde hair was slicked back from dunking herself in the water, feeling water droplets fall to her shoulders. It was a much needed bath after having missions for a week. Running around, staying out overnight and getting unimaginably dirty; this was well needed. Plus, it helped that she was able to get away from her brothers for a few hours. No listening to Kankuro's dumb talk about whatever might come to his brain and not having to have Gaara stare at her like he was drilling holes into her soul. Yes, this was a nice reprieve.

"Finally, some time to myself to just relax…" she smiled, letting her head lean back to rest on the rocks that surrounded the hot spring.

"Temari…" a gruff voice spoke from behind her. The sound startled her so bad that she nearly slammed her head against the rocks as she fumbled to move away from the sound.

Looking up, she saw someone she was hoping she wouldn't have to see for the next few days, her little brother. "Gaara! What are you doing here?" she yelled, wrapping her arms around her chest to hide her naked body from his view. Before he had a chance to answer her, she splashed him with the hot water, "Get out!"

Gaara put a hand up to cover his face from the water. It hadn't taken him long to find her, but it was strange seeing his older sister naked.

"This is the girl's side of the hot spring! Get the hell out of here!" she screamed, picking up a rock and throwing it in his direction.

His sand blocked the shot with ease. "Temari…" he started, ignoring her screaming and attempts to get him to leave. He looked away for a minute, unsure of how to properly word his next sentence. An unsure sigh left his throat; he should just say it then. "…I need your advice."

Temari stopped her shouting almost immediately after hearing him speak. He needed her advice? That was unheard of! She looked up at him curiously and a little stunned. "Gaara…" She scoffed, once again splashing him with water, "Fine. But can I at least get some clothes on in peace?"

Gaara left in a wisp of sand and Temari was left almost shell shocked that he was asking for her advice. Sinking to nose level in the water, she exhaled a breath through her nose, the water rippling in response. This was so strange. He never openly asks for her advice; she usually just gives it. But now he was asking and she couldn't refuse her baby brother, not because he was Kazekage, but it was _because_ he was her baby brother. Getting out of the water, she walked into the changing area and grabbed her clothes after drying off. After changing, she walked outside with a towel in her hair to greet her brother who was sitting by himself on one of the benches outside the hot spring. Staring at him, she noticed he was getting strange looks from passersby. It wasn't normal for them to see the Kazekage just sitting leisurely at a hot spring.

"Gaara," she said as she walked up to him.

His green eyes glanced over to her but he didn't say a word.

She couldn't help the soft chuckle at his predictable action. "Uh, why don't we go somewhere quieter, yeah?"

He gave her a short nod and stood. The two Sand siblings walked just a few buildings down, in silence, to a small, hole in the wall, restaurant.

Sitting at a table, across from each other, Temari stared her youngest brother down. "So what did you want to talk about?" Her curiosity was through the roof to say the least. When Gaara came asking her for advice, she knew it had to be something big.

For a while, he sat silently, his hands on the table and every once in a while they twitched as if to fidget. Temari's gaze didn't let up though. "…I need advice."

"Yeah, I got that," she replied with a smirk as he repeated what he said at the hot spring. "What do you need advice about though?"

He shot her a brief glare, which no longer seemed to scare her anymore as she continued to smirk at him. "I'm…confused, about something."

"Oh yeah? What about exactly that you had to ask for advice?" she paused a second before leaning in close, "Is it about a girl?" she teased. When Gaara gave her a strange look, one she hadn't seen before, her eyes widened in shock, "Wait, it is isn't!?"

Gaara glared at her briefly and then looked away, still glaring. "Why are you acting like it's a huge shock?" Suddenly he was being smothered by Temari, who had jumped him from over the table to hug him. At first he was surprised, not expecting such a reaction from her, but that expression soon faded into a scowl, "Temari…"

"Oh my gosh! I'm so happy for you Gaara!" she squealed, earning stares from other patrons in the restaurant. "I never even knew you could have feelings for someone honestly. I mean, I know you've changed and all, but feelings, for another person. Crazy." She released him when she felt his glare boring holes into her again. Looking around at all the people staring at them, she glared at them, "What?!" quickly they all went back to what they were doing.

"I never said I had feelings for someone. All I said was that I'm confused," he corrected, straightening his clothes.

"Pfft!" she scoffed, "If you say so. So what are you so confused about?"

Gaara sighed; he knew this was a bad idea.

"Gaara, we're family. You know you can tell me anything," she reassured him, seeing just how hard it was for him to talk about what was bothering him.

He looked at her impassively, trying to think of the best way to put his thoughts without giving her the satisfaction of possibly being right. "How do you feel about Shikamaru?"

Instantly, Temari's face turned red. "I don't know what you're talking about! He's nothing more than a crybaby who's to lazy to do anything," she huffed, pursing her lips and trying to play off her embarrassment as best she could. It was possible for someone who didn't even know a single thing about feelings, could see right through her with the look he was giving her.

He raised a brow at her, as if saying that he didn't believe a word she had just said.

"Oh, why do you want to know anyways? What's Shikamaru got to do with anything?" she asked, desperately trying to get the subject changed so she wouldn't have to answer his question.

Gaara tapped a finger against the table and sighed again, "This was a bad idea. Forget it."

As he made his attempt to get up from the table, Temari grabbed his wrist. She didn't look up at him, but he could see a defeated smile on her face. "Shikamaru is…he's lazy and finds everything a pain. He cares too much to be an effective field leader, which leads to him crying over everything. He'd rather be sleeping or watching clouds than doing any real work. But when he's determined to do something, he does it no matter how bothersome it might be to him. He's smart, too smart for his own good probably but often acts the fool so he can be given less priorities. I know that deep down, he has a passion raging inside that he just prefers to not let other people see…"

To say he was surprised might have been an understatement. He never knew his sister felt that way about someone. He could feel the love and admiration she had for the Leaf shinobi, even though she didn't actually say much. Gaara sat back down and she let go of his wrist.

"Don't tell anyone I said that alright? People will start thinking I'm weak if they knew." She smiled at him sheepishly, blushing lightly.

"Do you think it's possible to have feelings for something you know nothing about?" he asked suddenly, earning a perplexed stare from Temari.

"Mm, I suppose it's possible. There are people that believe in love at first sight, or soul mates. But then again, we always know little bits about something just by being around it." She shrugged, not really knowing how to answer that question. "It's only natural to feel something Gaara. It's human nature. And I know that training tells us not to feel because they only get in the way, but they only teach us to harden our emotions, not throw them away. If we were to throw away our feelings, we would be nothing more then lifeless objects."

He was silent, looking down at the table and processing what she told him.

"Gaara, let me ask you something." He looked up at her. "What is your heart telling you?"

His eyes widened a fraction before returning to normal. Slowly his hand came to his chest, earning a sympathetic smile from his big sister. "It hurts here all the time. Even now. Even though Shukaku is gone, I still hear a voice crying out to me; literally crying. It feels so lonely, even with all the other people around." He paused, looking down at the table again and letting his hand drop. "When I see other people together, whether they be friends or lovers, I feel…lost. Like maybe I have missed out on something and will never get the chance to experience the same things."

"But Gaara, you have friends. Many of them in fact," Temari cut in, trying to reassure her brother as he finally began to open up to her.

"I do, but I still feel like there's something missing." Temari was in utter shock when she saw a single tear fall from the corner of his eye. She wasn't sure she had ever seen her brother so vulnerable before.

Getting up from her side of the table, she dropped down next to him and gently embraced him. For a split second she was amazed that he returned the gesture, but she was just happy that she was finally really connecting with him. "Just like anyone else in the world, you're entitled to your own happiness Gaara. Whether you find that with someone else or not, is your own choice. Feelings aren't an exact science, they're difficult to understand and even harder to explain. If you feel something, just let it happen." She let go of him and chuckled softly, "Though, I'm kind of a hypocrite on the subject seeing as I can't talk about my feelings for Shikamaru."

Looking up at his sister, he gave her the faintest of smiles. Maybe she wasn't such a man after all. The two of them parted and ate a small lunch together in silence before Temari wanted more alone time on her day off. Gaara walked back to his office after his lunch, contemplating everything he and Temari had talked about. It was almost hard for him to believe his sister was such a caring person, she was normally so tomboyish. Even so, she had given him some invaluable advice. Then again, what had he felt for Hui? How was that different from whatever it was he was feeling now?


	15. A Confused Heart

**A/N: Pretty much the Setsuko version of chapter 14. Is it bad that my favorite chapter right now is 14? I shouldn't be playing favorites, but it makes me smile every time I read it.**

* * *

It had been two days and there had been no word from Setsuko. She must have been far more exhausted then he originally thought. And he did in fact know she was sleeping, having had Aoi make sure. In that time, he had plenty of time to think about whatever was going on in his brain and yet, thinking about possibly seeing Setsuko still kind of unnerved him. Maybe he hadn't worked out all the details after all. It actually terrified him to think that someone could cause him to react like this. Especially someone he barely knew. He sat back in his chair with a sigh, neglecting his paperwork; as he often did the last two days. He was still so unsure.

Gaara swung his chair around so he was facing the windows of his office. What was he to do? He just couldn't believe that a woman, one that was still new to him, was causing his mind to be so out of whack. Considering who he was, it amazed him and he was sure it did the same with Temari when they spoke about it. Maybe there was a way that he could get her away from the village for at least a day. Even if it was nothing she wanted to do, he could come up with a viable excuse right? His finger tapped against the arm of his chair; maybe not to her face. He called for someone to summon Temari and it wasn't long before she was entering his office.

"You wanted to see me?" she questioned as the door shut behind her.

Gaara turned around in his chair, facing her, "I have something I need you to do for me."

She cocked a brow curiously, "Okay, like what?"

"I want you to escort Setsuko to the Hidden Leaf," he replied, looking down at his desk and scribbling something on a scroll.

"I'm sorry, what? That's the craziest thing I've ever heard given the situation and why?" she retorted, crossing her arms under her chest. She watched as he ignored her and continued to scribble. Walking up to his desk, she slammed her hand down in front of him, "Hey! Are you going to answer me or not?"

Slowly he looked up at her, "I figured she's been too confined here. Since Aisugakure is an isolated village, it would do her some good to make diplomatic friends."

She watched him give a shrug and go back to the scroll, "Gaara…"

"Have this sent before you leave. It will arrive before you do so they'll know you're coming," he said holding out the scroll for her.

She gave him an annoyed sigh but took the scroll anyways. "I think this is the dumbest thing you've ever done."

"Which is why I'm sending you along." He stared up at her glare as if it were nothing knew to him, which it wasn't.

* * *

Setsuko was enjoying a hot, relaxing bath in the peace and quiet of her hotel room. She felt a hundred times better after catching up on her sleep for the past two days. Laying her head back against the rim, she sunk lower into the bath water and sighed happily, a small smile gracing her lips. Although still in inner turmoil over what had happened back home, she was slowly starting to cope with it. It was terrible and it tore her up inside to know the man she loved was gone, but she was also painfully aware that there was nothing she could do about it. Even if she had been home during the attack, it was doubtful she would have been able to stop it from happening. Her eyes slowly opened and looked down at the water with nothing but detached sorrow. Things would change when she returned home. This experience had already taught her so much and she had only been gone about a month, maybe a little less.

Inhaling a shaky breath, she sighed and turned her gaze to the ceiling. Before it could make its way down her face, she wiped away the lone tear the moment she felt it slip from her eye. Maki was the man she's loved since they were children; it only stands to reason that she would be heartbroken. They had promised to get married ever since she first stepped foot into the orphanage. He had always been there for her; keeping his promise to always protect her. Then why had her dreams been of nothing but Gaara for the two days she was passed out? She felt her face heat up almost instantly as she remembered her dreams. Some of them had been far too graphic than she would ever care to admit. She sunk lower into the bath, covering everything from her mouth down. How could she think about someone like that when she was in such pain?

Besides, Gaara, of all people? That was preposterous! He was so, grumpy; all the time. He hardly ever showed emotion. He was rude to practically everyone he met. He had even threatened her! His stupid red hair that was more of a mess than Maki's, and framed his face in such a way that allowed that scar to stand out against his pale skin. And his green eyes, they were nothing to be desired. Looking as if they had come straight from the ocean of a tropical paradise; he thought he was so cool. Her cheeks puffed out as she tried to make him seem like he was a high and mighty jerk. But who was she really trying to convince? In a weird way, he was kind of her only friend here; so far away from home. She probably talked to him the most even if he almost never talked back. He was so cryptic in most of his answers and always crossed his arms across his chest. She found her mind wandering to what his bare chest looked like under all those robes he wore. Her face grew even redder, if it were possible, feeling the sting even on her ears. She had to stop.

She was just being crazy, right? He liked Hui anyways; it was amazingly obvious from the way he had acted the other night. Of course he would like someone like her; she was powerful, beautiful and knew just what she was doing. She couldn't compete with someone that had been in the field and had the kind of experiences they had. Unlike them, she had been cooped up most of her life, forced to do things she never actually wanted to do. Despite what people might believe, Setsuko never wanted to rule her village. She wanted to be a ninja just like her parents. She could do far more good fighting the enemy than sitting back and having to deal with political powers. It's not like she hadn't learned though. Behind everyone's backs, she had learned to do the same things as ninja; she had just never been on a mission until recently.

Exhaling through her nose, she felt the water ripple against her skin. She was just being ridiculous! There was no way she liked Gaara and there was certainly no way that he liked her. If anything, she was living a fantasy if she continued to think that way. Finishing her bath, she got out and wrapped a towel around her body. She was drying her hair when she thought she heard a knock at the door. Setting the hair dryer down, she looked towards the bedroom door for a moment, wondering to herself if she had been imagining the sound when she heard it again. Walking to the door, she was surprised to see the tall blonde standing at her door. She had met Temari once the entire time she had been here, and it hadn't been very eventful for her to stick out in her mind.

"Yes?" she asked, wondering just what she was doing here instead of one of the ANBU or Gaara himself.

"Get dressed Princess, we're going out!" Temari said with a beaming smile and a sparkle in her teal eyes.

Setsuko blinked a few times. "I'm sorry, what?"

Without being invited in, Temari sauntered into the hotel room and flopped down on the couch crossing one leg over the other. "We're going out! I'm taking you outta town for a few days. Stretch your legs, get away from this boring hotel room, see some sights…maybe even meet a few guys," she gave the Princess a sly smirk and a playful wink.

She blushed lightly at the way the older woman said her words. "I don't know…Gaara might get mad if I leave."

"Oh pfft! Who cares? Besides, he actually suggested it," she said, getting up and wrapping an arm around the younger girl.

"He…did?" She looked up at Temari in bewilderment that Gaara would actually allow her to leave since he had been so adamant that she didn't even leave her room.

Temari leaned against her playfully, "Oh yeah! A change of scenery will do you some good kid! But you gotta look nice, you're gonna be meeting the Hokage for the Land of Fire. Need to put your Princess foot forward."

"Oh uhm…" she paused as she processed Temari's words. She would be leaving town for a few days. A whole new change of scenery. She wondered what this village would be like compared to Suna. "Okay!" she said, giving her an excited smile.

"That's what I like to hear! Now pack some things and meet me at the gates okay?" She let go of Setsuko and walked towards the door.

Setsuko nodded, watching Temari open the door to leave. "Alright!"

The door closed and Setsuko couldn't help but let out an excited squeal. Finally she was going to be able to get to go to and see more than just sandy old Suna! As she rushed back to the bathroom to finish doing her hair, she wondered just what village in the Land of Fire they were going to. What would the people be like? What kind of things did they offer to visitors? Most of all, what did the village look like? Putting her hair in a high ponytail set a little off to the side, she curled it and let it drape over her left shoulder. All the smaller strands of hair framed her face to give her an innocent, yet regal appearance.

Getting into her closet, she threw off the towel that covered her body and pulled out a dress. Looking at herself in the body mirror, she ran her hands along the fabric, trying to smooth everything out. The light maroon colored dress brought out the paleness of her skin, but the contrast was offset by the splash of blue that decorated the top half. It was a slightly more casual dress from the others she owned; she only figured that it would just be the two of them and they would be doing a lot of walking. No need to wear something formal out in the middle of nowhere. The sleeves stopped a few inches past her elbows, the hem of the skirt was about an inch above her ankles and the collar dipped into a low v, showing more of her chest then normal. Strapping her heels to her feet, she grabbed a small bag and filled it with a few pairs of clothes and toiletries. Grabbing a brown cloak as she left the room, she swung it around her shoulders as she raced down the hallway, feeling the silver clasp bounce against her chest.

She ran and ran and ran towards the gates, never stopping even after accidentally bumping into a few people. She mumbled her apologies, but never once stopped, far too excited about leaving Suna. "Temari!" she shouted, seeing the blonde standing by the entrance to the village.

Temari turned slightly, smiling when she saw Setsuko. "Oh, there you are! I was wondering what was taking you so long."

"Sorry…" She finally stopped, placing her hands on her knees as she caught her breath. "I tried to hurry as fast as I could."

Temari chuckled, "Oh it's okay. We have plenty of time to waste, it takes about three days to get where we're going." She took a moment to look Setsuko up and down. "You're wearing that?"

"You said I was going to be meeting the Hokage! Of course I'm wearing this! Wait…what's wrong with my dress?" She looked down at her dress, starting to have second thought about her choice in clothing when Temari started laughing.

"I'm only joking. You look fine," she couldn't help that the look of defeat the Princess wore made her giggle; she was so easy to tease.

Setsuko huffed, crossing her arms across her chest in a pout.

Temari couldn't help but continue to laugh. "Let's get going!" With a slight nod, Setsuko threw the hood of her cloak over her head and the two ladies made their way towards the Hidden Leaf Village.


	16. Falling Leaves

**A/N: BOOM! Hidden Leaf characters added! I'm actually excited for the next couple of chapters and Setsuko's relationship with Naruto. Also, I realized, this story has taken on a mind of it's own. I didn't expect it to be this long when I was brainstorming; now, it's going to be fairly long. Some things have started to happen that I didn't originally intend for, like the scene switching to Konoha. Crazy. Anyways! Read, send love, review and send more love. I'll update more often the more love I get.**

* * *

It had taken them three days exactly to get to the Hidden Leaf Village, and Setsuko was ready to take a bath and rest. She wasn't exhausted but she certainly didn't feel like she could see any Hokages in her condition. Despite being a little rough around the edges, Temari was good company. She was kind of glad it was just the two of them. She didn't have any girl friends back home, actually, she didn't have any friends at all; she was never allowed to have them. Standing outside the gates to the village, Setsuko looked up at them in awe. They were so different from the ones back home and at Suna; in fact she wasn't really sure if they even had any gates. The wood work was magnificent and each door had the leaf symbol emblazoned on them. She had never seen a village look like it was permanently touched by spring; it was beautiful.

She glanced over at Temari who was speaking with the guards that seemed to sit lazily at their post. They didn't seem at all bothered when they saw the blonde ninja approach them. She did take notice that they leaned in close to her and seemed to whisper something while looking at her. This action made her feel uneasy and she quickly looked away, blushing lightly. Her eyes drifted over the sakura trees and the streets of buildings, trying to take in all she could. A gentle wind blew past, rustling her hair a little. She smiled to herself, closing her eyes and enjoying the calming feeling it brought her. Lost in her own serenity, Setsuko never noticed something orange barreling for her.

"Ah!" she shrieked as she was suddenly run over, someone landing on top of her. Looking up at who had landed on her, she was met with dazzling blue eyes.

"Uhm…" their voice hummed as they looked down at her curiously, having never seen her before. "Who are you?"

She was utterly silent, almost captivated by the beauty in this person's eyes when she finally took notice of something strange. Slowly, her eyes traveled down to see a hand on her breast. Her face immediately turned beat red.

Curious as to why she was so red, they followed her gaze, only to turn red themselves. "Ah! I'm…I'm so sorry!"

"Ah! You pervert!" she screamed, her eyes shutting tight and slapping them as hard as she could.

They went flying a few inches away, completely falling off her. Sitting up a little, they grabbed at their now sore cheek, "It was an accident I swear!"

"Naruto! What do you think you're doing, running into people like that?" a male voice shouted from a couple feet away, slowly making their way to the gate. There was an accompanying bark from the person's side.

"Shut up Kiba! It was an accident. I didn't see her standing in the middle of the road like that," Naruto shouted angrily at his friend, his hand still pressed against his cheek where she had hit him. Turning to her, he got close, almost inches apart, "What were you doing standing in the middle of the road anyways?"

Setsuko stared at him, eye to eye. She could feel her heart pounding away at her chest, feeling his ramen scented breath so close to her skin. Her face started to heat up again and she slapped him, hard, again.

"Ow!" he yelped, holding his cheek yet again. "What was that for?!" he shouted, glaring at her for hitting him twice.

She covered her chest, "You got too close." She huffed and turned away from him, puffing out her cheeks in defiance.

"You really should apologize to people after running into them Naruto," a calm, mysterious voice said from beside the one named Kiba.

"Hey! She was in my way first so she should be apologizing to me," he shouted angrily that his friends weren't coming to his defense.

"Hey Naruto, long time no see," Temari finally chimed in, seeing the scene beginning to unfold into something terrible.

Naruto seemed to almost immediately calm, turning to the blonde, "Oh Temari, what are you doing here?"

She smiled, "Escorting Princess Setsuko here to the Leaf Village. She's trying to make diplomatic friends….and kind of unwind a bit."

Naruto looked over to Setsuko with a deadpanned, disbelieving look. "You mean this mean and ugly girl is a Princess?" Setsuko visibly twitched.

"That's right," Setsuko answered, turning around with the brightest and most innocent of smiles. That's usually how they fool you right? She rigidly took Naruto's hands into hers, shaking them while never letting her smile drop. "It's so nice to meet you! I'm Setsuko from Aisugakure."

"Wow, that far north huh?" Kiba asked, amazed that she would travel all this way just to meet their Hokage.

When Setsuko released Naruto's hands and he tried to move them, he found that he couldn't. She turned to face Kiba, still smiling as Naruto found his hands frozen solid together. "Yes! My village is slowly deteriorating and I'm in need of outside help." Naruto was still struggling with freeing his hands, falling over and trying to smash the ice; to no avail. "So, I figured making a few friends wouldn't hurt me."

Temari watched Naruto out of the corner of her eye as she walked closer to Setsuko. "Yep, she stopped by our humble village first so I thought I'd escort her here so there'd be no trouble."

Naruto got in her face, holding up his frozen hands, "What did you do to me?!"

"If you'll excuse me," she said, completely ignoring Naruto and his plight.

"You kinda deserved it ya know," Kiba muttered off handedly as Naruto was shouting at her to come back and fix him.

Naruto whirled around, glaring at him, "Shut up Kiba!"

The two women walked away from the gates, listening to Naruto's ranting and shouting. Temari couldn't stop the internal laughing fit she was having seeing him trying to free himself. Looking over to the younger girl, she couldn't help but give her props for her mean little trick; so devious and yet so innocent. Temari led Setsuko through the village and towards their hotel. She had decided that just this once she would splurge on her accommodations, wanting this to be a fun outing for the both of them.

A few minutes later, they arrived at what Setsuko could only image to be their hotel. It did have an 'Inn' sign plastered on the front for all to see. It was a huge building too, almost the tallest one from the looks of it. The outside was painted white with trims of yellow and red; something that was common around here apparently. She didn't mind one bit, everything in Suna was different shades of brown and red, and almost everything in her village was different shades of blue; this was actually a huge change. The two of them walked in to see beautiful oak walls decorated with ornate lanterns and wallpaper. The floors were a slick, dark cherry with area rugs to separate some spaces. The furniture wasn't expensive, but it was definitely elegant with its deep, rich tones and solid structure. Both women were awestruck at the beauty, almost beaming like children to each other.

The two of them checked in and after receiving their keys, made their way to their room. Sharing a room, they walked into their suite, amazed by how spacious it was. Setsuko ran to the enormous window that seemed to span the entire length of the living room, swinging open the curtains and gasping. While Temari casually walked into the room, silently letting her inner child squeal, she watched in amusement as Setsuko seemed breathless at the view of the entire village they had. It was strange, you would think she'd be used to such luxury being a Princess and all. Yet, here she was acting like a child seeing the most amazing toy they've ever seen in their life. Setsuko pressed herself up against the glass, wide eyed and mouth agape as Temari chose one of the rooms she wanted.

"I can't believe it! We're staying in a place like this!" she squealed happily as her eyes watched all the people from their room.

She heard Temari chuckle from the next room. "Aren't you used to this kind of stuff?"

"Psh! Only back home. It's completely different when I'm in a place I've never been before," she replied off handedly. "This place, it's so beautiful! It's kind of funny though. Back home, it's always cold. In Suna it's always hot, but here! Here it's like spring came and never left!"

Temari emerged from her room with a content smile, "Yeah, this place is pretty."

Setsuko spun around and excitedly face Temari, "What do we do first?!"

"Uhm…" Temari stuttered at the girl's enthusiasm about being in a new place. "We could go to the hot springs or the bath house here at the hotel."

"Ooo! The hot springs!" she shouted excitedly, running out the door in record time.

"Wait!" Temari shouted after her. "You don't know where you're going!" She had to practically scramble to even catch up with the bouncing blonde. There was no time to rest with this girl!

When the two of them finally made it to the hot springs, after Temari had to practically drag her through the village, they settled into the scalding water. Setsuko really had been like a child the entire time, running around at every open shop, staring with wide eyes and amazement. Honestly, Temari wished Gaara had been like that when he was younger; it's a cute thing kids do. Temari watched as Setsuko pulled her hair free and let it drape around her body, with some of it covering her chest. The four pigtails she had in her own hair were let loose and she sunk down into the water with a cold towel folded on top of her head.

"How do you handle that much hair?" Temari asked, amazed that she was able to get it the way she wanted it.

Setsuko shrugged, feeling the hissing sting against her icy skin. "You get used to it really."

"Hm, I don't think I could handle that much hair," she said, leaning back against the rocks with one arm resting out of the water.

"Yeah, it's definitely not for everyone," she chuckled, ducking under the water for a moment before resurfacing. "But, Maki always liked long hair…" Her eyes grew sad as she said his name.

Temari looked at the Princess with empathy. "I heard about what happened. I'm so sorry. He must have meant a lot to you."

She nodded. "Yeah, he was my best friend and my lover. When we were only kids, we made a promise to marry each other when we were older."

"Whoa, hang on a second. The Princess got it on with non-royalty?" Temari sent her a sly smirk, "That must have been taboo."

Setsuko blushed, her fingers fidgeting wildly, suddenly becoming quite embarrassed. "Please don't tell anyone! It was our secret….I would get into so much trouble if my royal adviser found out."

"Don't worry so much! This just means I have blackmail material if I ever need you do to something for me," Temari teased with a toothy grin. When she heard Setsuko start to freak out, she laughed, "It's cute though. How you two made a promise like that as kids." In order to get Setsuko to calm down she had to change the subject.

"Oh…" she calmed, looking down at the water. "Yeah, it was one of the first things he ever said to me." One moment there had been a sad smile on her face, the next she was dripping tears from her eyes and sobbing almost uncontrollably. Her hands were up at her face, one with the ball of her hand under her eye and the other curled up around her cheek. Tears flowed endlessly as she looked like a baby experiencing pain for the first time.

Temari couldn't help but feel bad for her. She hadn't known what it was like to lose a lover or a best friend, but she did know what it was like to lose people. "Do you really think Maki would want you to sob over him like this? If he's the kind of person I'm thinking he is, he'd want you to be happy, even through this painful time."

Her shoulders shook as she took sharp intakes of breath, "No he…_hic_…wouldn't but it's…_hic_…so painful even now! I'm trying to…_hic_…be…_hic_…happy but I can't!..._hic_…Not when I feel like…_hic_…like I'm betraying him!"

"What are you talking about?" Temari held a look of confusion, not even remotely understanding what she meant by betraying him.

Setsuko rubbed the balls of her hands through her eyes, her whole body trembling from how violently her emotions were running wild. "…I think…I think I might have started having feelings for someone else…"

Temari's jaw dropped a little, she thought _that_ was betraying this Maki guy? She slowly shifted through the water and came up beside Setsuko, putting a sisterly arm around her for comfort. "You do know that's part of moving on right? Just because you're having feeling for someone else, doesn't mean the ones you felt for Maki are going to be replaced or go away. He will always have a special place in your heart. No one can take that away from you."

The younger blonde looked up at Temari with sad, hopeful eyes. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do! Otherwise I wouldn't have said it," she replied with a confident nod.

"Oh thank you Temari!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around the older blonde and practically tackled her in the spring.

Nearly falling over, Temari had to grab onto the rocks for balance. "Hey! Let go of me!" she shouted, trying to pull the naked teen off her. "This is weird. Get off!"


	17. Orange Spring

**A/N: Gotta give my love to one of my favorite pairings ever! It's gonna happen more and more too. They're just too cute with their inability to talk about their feelings. So, Gaara isn't going to make an appearance again until later chapters. He'll be mentioned of course, but never given any credit. Right now it's all about the Princess. Don't you worry your pretty little heads, he'll come back soon!**

* * *

After their bath in the hot springs, and Temari finally getting Setsuko to calm down enough that she could actually hold normal conversations with her, the two girls were sitting outside Amaguriama. The sweet shop has two locations; seeing as they were already at the hot springs district, they chose to eat at the one located nearby. As Temari had a sweet tooth for sweet chestnuts, it was mostly her choice to eat there. Setsuko didn't mind though, as she looked through the display of choices, she couldn't help but feel the need to buy one of each.

Temari sighed and dropped her head at the un-Princess like antics Setsuko was pulling. "How exactly do you even plan to eat all of those?"

"One at a time!" Setsuko exclaimed happily shoving a sweet dumpling in her mouth.

The two women sat outside the small shop, enjoying their food when Temari suddenly began to get the slightest of red tint to her cheeks. It quickly faded when she spoke, "Shikamaru!"

With a dumpling stick sticking out of her mouth, Setsuko looked over her shoulder to where Temari was looking. Only a few feet behind them was a young man no taller than 5'5", with sharp black eyes and black hair slicked back into a spiky ponytail. He wore a simple long sleeved black shirt, matching pants and sandals, with green lined mesh armor. An army green flack jacket was fastened around his upper body and his hands were lazily stuffed into his pockets. He seemed to have a look of utter boredom etched on his face as he stared up at the clouds that slowly floated by, but when he heard his name called that expression changed; he seemed a little surprised to see Temari. Setsuko looked back at Temari as he walked over to them; she seemed a different kind of happy now that this guy was here.

"Temari, I didn't know you were here," he said as he finally reached them.

"I just got into town earlier today," she replied with a half cocked smile.

Setsuko watched as he shifted his weight to one leg as that bored expression came back to his face. "What are you doing here? Did something happen in the Hidden Sand?"

"No, I'm here as an escort for her." Temari pointed to Setsuko who was still chewing on a dumpling while she continued to stare up at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru looked over at the young blonde, raising an eyebrow in curiosity at her. Slowly Setsuko pulled the stick free, finished swallowing her dumplings and smiled, "I'm Princess Setsuko of Aisugakure."

His normally vacant eyes widened in shock. A Princess here, out in the open like it was nothing?! "Princess?!" He looked over at Temari as if asking if she were telling the truth.

"Mhm!" Setsuko nodded, still smiling, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. "I'm supposed to meet with your Hokage later this week, but I've never left my village before so Temari is showing me around until then."

Shikamaru eyed the Princess wearily. "She's been in Suna the last few days meeting with Gaara, and I was asked to accompany her here." It was hard for him to read this Princess, but he could tell when Temari was lying to him. However, he wouldn't press the matter because there had to be a good reason for it.

"I hope you've enjoyed our village so far," he said, being respectful to the ruling dignitary.

"Oh I have! Although…" she paused, furrowing her brow as she thought about her earlier encounter. "Some of the ninja here seem…rude."

Shikamaru looked at her curiously. "Naruto was the first person she met. It was…interesting," Temari said, answering his silent question. Hearing this he sighed heavily, knowing Naruto didn't make good first impression on anyone.

"Hm, well I gotta go. My mom wants me home for lunch and if I don't get there soon…well it'll be a real drag," he sighed, saying his goodbyes and beginning his walk home.

"Uh, Shikamaru wait!" Temari shot up from her seat and jogged after him.

Setsuko looked on in confusion as she watched the two talk to each other privately. She wondered what they could be talking about. A few minutes into their conversation, Setsuko noticed the look in Temari's eyes as she stared at Shikamaru. So she had a crush on him! She smiled to herself as she stuck another dumpling in her mouth; how cute! She had no idea that Temari had feelings for anyone, let alone someone from another village. That must have made it hard for them. Using her free hand as leverage, she leaned back on the bench she was sitting on and stared up at the clouds. So far away from each other and yet their feelings still flourished. She wondered if they were dating or if they hadn't quite gotten there yet.

What about her? What was she to do about her own feelings going crazy right now? She was torn and still in love with Maki but at the same time, she was feeling something for Gaara. In his own, grumpy, weird way, he was compassionate and gentle. His stupid red hair was kind of attractive too. She giggled to herself as she thought about before they had left three days ago and how she had tried to make it seem like that was a character flaw. The way his sea green eyes had sparkled the night they went to the beach together was dreamy. And she could see it; little by little, he was opening up to her. Maybe Temari was right; she could still love Maki, but move on and let herself possibly love someone else. Even though it felt like she was leaving him behind, she knew Maki would have wanted her to be happy and love again.

Temari walked back over and Setsuko looked at her, "Ya know, if you wanted to be alone with him you could have just said something."

Her whole body froze, her face turning red. "Shh!" Temari forced a handful of sweet chestnuts down Setsuko's throat so no one would hear her.

Setsuko flailed around as she tried to swallow everything in her mouth.

"I don't even like him. We're just friends." Even though she was saying it, her face was still red.

Finally, Setsuko was able to swallow. She panted and took long, deep breaths of air now that nothing was preventing her from it. "You could have killed me just now!"

"But I didn't." Her red face was slowly fading into a small blush as she took a bite of her own sweets, smiling.

* * *

Temari had already fallen asleep when Setsuko snuck out of her room. She crept through the living room of their suite, the moonlight shinning through the open window. Dressed in a simple pair of black shorts, a loose red t-shirt that hung off her shoulder and a tank top underneath, Setsuko left their hotel room. As she stepped outside, the pale moonlight reflected off her skin, seemingly giving her a soft glow. Lacing her fingers behind her back, she began walking down the road, looking at all the shops there were to see in the Leaf Village nightlife.

She saw a few couples arm in arm, a few drunks stumbling home, even fewer groups of friends and a few people by their lonesome. Her eyes traveled to the various lights that lit up the streets from businesses open late and wandered into a small bar like building with banners hanging where doors should be. The sign on the front said 'Ichiraku Ramen'. The inside was quaint and small, having only a bar and a kitchen and the décor was plain. It was kind of cute though. Her long hair was placed into two loose pigtails that lay over each shoulder, so luckily they wouldn't be caught in whatever she ordered. She was greeted by the chef and, from the way they talked to each other, she could only assume his daughter.

"Good evening," she replied courtly, smiling at them as they excitedly welcomed her.

"What can we get you?" the chef asked.

"Well, I'm new in town so…what would you suggest?" Setsuko gave a sheepish giggle and sunk in her seat a little, feeling awkward.

"House special! Coming up!" he replied excitedly as he instantly went to cooking. "Ya know, this is a favorite among one of my best customers. He swears by it!"

She leaned against the bar and smiled, "Oh then it must be terrific! I can't wait to try it."

Listening to the people outside and the sounds of the cooking equipment, Setsuko seemed lost in her own little world. She was content right here. This was how her village should be; full of life and bustling with people. The sounds of everyday things happening behind her brought her a strange sense of comfort. They were things she wasn't used to and only dreamed about. Yes, she dreamed about a life other than her own. She hated being what she was. She always had to be someone she wasn't; although that usually failed miserably anyways. All she wanted was to be a ninja, go on missions, protect the people she loved, and have friends, maybe a boyfriend, the things most people took for granted. It wasn't like she wasn't doing any good in her position now, but it was a lonely existence. She wanted to laugh with other people, run to someone for comfort when she was hurting and be treasured in some way by others.

"Here you are," the man said as he set down a large bowl of ramen in front of her, bringing Setsuko out of her thoughts.

Her eyes were wide, "Oh, thank you!" She bowed her head in thanks and picked up her chopsticks. Taking her first bite, she gave a happy squeak at the pork taste that exploded in her mouth.

"Hey old man Teuchi! Can I get a bowl of pork ramen?" a loud and annoying voice said from behind her, walking in and taking a seat a few stools away.

Teuchi turned and greeted his favorite customer, "Oh hey Naruto! I was wondering when I was would see you."

"Yeah, Grandma Tsunade sent me out on a mission with Kiba and Shino earlier. It was a dumb, boring job and I just need to relax," he replied with a groan of exhaustion, even though he just said the mission wasn't at all strenuous.

Setsuko glanced over at him from the corner of her eye, slurping the ramen into her mouth. Naruto's ears perked up at the sound and he whipped around with a smile beaming on his face.

"I know that sound anywhere! What flavor a-" he cut himself off when he saw just who was sitting next to him. A glare replaced the beaming smile instantly. "What are you doing here?"

Setsuko turned up her nose and huffed at him, turning her back to him.

Naruto visibly shook with annoyed anger at her attitude. "What's your deal?! Why are you being such a brat?"

Her chopsticks were quickly and suddenly pointed in his face, causing him to jump the tiniest of bits. Her head snapped to look at him, a glare of her own thrown towards him. "You molested me earlier today. I have every right to not like you."

"That was an accident!" he shouted as his face turned red and he stood up from his seat. It was the strangest thing, deep within the recesses of his body, Naruto could feel the Nine-Tails stir a little at her glare.

Again she turned up her nose and turned away from him. "You didn't even apologize."

He threw his hands up in the air with an incredulous look on his face. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?! I did so!"

"Apologize properly and I might forgive you," she said matter-of-factly, taking another inhale of noodles.

Naruto flopped down into the stool he was sitting on and crossed his arms in a huff, turning away from her. "I already did."

"Then if I ever see you in Aisu, I'll put you to death." She looked over at Naruto with a cocky smile before turning to Teuchi and his daughter. "Thank you for the ramen, it was truly delicious." Setsuko bowed her head and stood, placing her money on the table. Just before leaving, she stopped, holding the hanging banners away from her face but never turning back. "Oh, I put enough to pay for Naruto's meal also."

Without another word, she left, leaving Naruto just a little dumbstruck by her kind gesture seeing as she was being so rude just seconds ago.


	18. In the Face of Duty

**A/N: Ugh, my mind is consumed with homework and this story! I'm thinking it's going one way and then suddenly it takes a sharp left into a whole new direction. Not to be mean, but I'm like...three chapters ahead of where the story is now. I think my brain might melt from it all. I hope it's staying interesting for you all because at this point I'm just writing what my fingers are telling me. It's as if this thing is writing itself.**

* * *

Beams of sunlight penetrated the curtains and hit Setsuko in the face. With a long drawn out groan, she threw the covers over her head and went back to sleep; turning over so her back was facing the window. Temari on the other hand was awake and already dressed as the Princess lay about in bed like a lazy person. Seeing as she was still sleeping, Temari took the opportunity to go out and buy them a big breakfast. Returning, the food still hot, the smell drifted through the halls and into Setsuko's room. With eyes clasped shut, she rose from her bed slowly as if something was hypnotizing her. getting out of bed, her eyes still closed, she trudged her way into the kitchen before plopping down in a chair at the small island bar and opening her eyes.

"Ooo! Breakfast!" she cooed happily, her hair a mess and her eyes still kind of droopy.

Temari chuckled a little. "Yeah, I'm no good at cooking so I bought us breakfast since you were still sleeping."

Setsuko smiled, "That's okay, neither am I."

"Hm, for some reason I thought you would be." Temari grabbed herself a plate of food and stood across from the pajama dressed Princess.

The two women enjoyed their meal in relative silence, neither really morning people and preferring to just enjoy the food. At one point, as Setsuko went for seconds, she mentioned how she ran into Naruto again after having wandered some of the village last night. Temari looked up from her plate at her casual mention of the situation, even though she threatened Naruto with death. It was clear she was no ordinary Princess.

When Setsuko had finally finished her food, she thanked Temari for buying such a big spread and skipped into her room. She would be meeting with the Hokage today, but not until later in the afternoon so there was no need to dress fancy yet. She took her shower, dried her hair and then stood in front of her closet. Dressing in a white collar shirt, she laced a dark brown corset over it that came just under her bust, a simple pair of tight black pants and a lighter brown belt, she strapped her sandals on and looked at herself in the mirror. She stuck in two solid gold hoop earrings, brushed her teeth and put on a light coating of makeup. Hurrying out of her room, she smiled at Temari and the two of them left.

Setsuko's high placed ponytail swayed with each step she took, dusting against the middle of her back. The two of them leisurely walked down the streets, Setsuko watching everything and everyone in childlike wonder. Even though she had already been there an entire day, it was like she was still seeing everything for the first time. As they walked, the two noticed that many shops were unusually busy. Not with customers per say but shop owners seemed to be bustling back and forth through each shop, cleaning, decorating and stocking. They silently wondered to each other what was going on when something caught Temari's eye.

"Hm, this must be what all the fuss is about." She ripped a flyer off a nearby post and looked it over with Setsuko trying to sneak a peak.

"What is it Temari?" she asked after being denied a look.

The flyer was small, but colorful and full of exclamating sentences. "Annual Spring Leaf Festival, March 21st through March 23th. Games. Food. Fun."

"Oh! A festival!" Setsuko exclaimed excitedly. "We should definitely attend!"

"This thing is mostly for couples. Neither of us have boyfriends." Temari discarded the flyer haphazardly, only to have Setsuko save it.

Setsuko let her eyes wander over the paper. "This starts in two days." She looked up at Temari with a sly smile on her face, hidden by the flyer she held against her lips. "You can go with Shikamaru and maybe finally something will happen between you two."

Temari tried and failed to prevent the blush that appeared on her cheeks. She turned around, wrapping an arm around Setsuko's neck with her own devious smile. "Yeah, and maybe you can go with my little brother."

This time it was Setsuko who failed to stop the blush that bombarded her pale cheeks. "That's crazy talk! He's grumpy and a loner, he'd never go to something like this. Plus, I doubt he even-Wait a second!" She looked up at Temari, forcibly pulling herself from the older woman's grasp. "Why do you assume I want to be around Gaara like that?"

Temari smirked at her knowingly. "Well for one, it's my baby brother; I'm not blind when it comes to girls having a crush on him. Plus…" she paused to poke Setsuko's cheek, "You look like a tomato right now!"

"Bah!" she swatted her hand away, quickly covering her cheeks. "I do not!"

"Just admit it already. You're not fooling anyone but yourself…and Gaara." She crossed her arms across her chest and shifted her weight to her left leg, that know-it-all smirk still resting on her lips.

Setsuko dropped her hands from her face and threw a finger into Temari's, "Only if you admit you like Shikamaru!"

Temari scoffed and looked away, a red tint on her face again. "Tch, never gonna happen."

"Then I'm never going to admit to anything!" Setsuko huffed, crossing her own arms and pouting.

The two of them looked at each other and laughed. The fact that they could find humor in each other's teasing made it seem like they were similar in personalities. Setsuko's fingers wandered up to her neck, expecting to fidget with the necklace that used to hang around it, but when she didn't feel it she remembered to giving it away. As they walked around some more, Setsuko found a small jewelry stand and couldn't stop herself from looking. Although as she looked, she wasn't aware of the scheming going on inside Temari's mind. She wanted nothing more than to see her brother happy; he deserved it.

"Hey, it's almost time for your meeting with the Hokage. We should head back to the hotel so you can get dressed," Temari said, looking at the time.

Setsuko turned to Temari, clasping a cameo necklace around her neck. The fabric was white as was the ivory inlay, but the shape was visible by the sapphire stones that outlined it. "Oh right, okay!"

The two women went back to their hotel room to allow Setsuko to get ready to meet the Hokage. She fixed her makeup and her hair after putting on a nice powder blue dress with a white fur collar. The sleeves were long and transparent bell sleeves with flecks of glitter scattered throughout. Slipping on her only other pair of heels, the blue glass sparkled against her skin in the sunlight. Placing her silver crown decorated with sapphires on her head, she smoothed out her clothes to make sure everything was in its proper place. Turning to her closet, she pulled out the deep, dark navy blue cape and clipped it under the fur to make it look as if the long fabric belongs to the dress itself.

Stepping out of her room, she seemed to catch Temari off guard a little before she jumped just the tiniest of bits when Setsuko cleared her throat. Her eyes traveled to what the older blonde was doing, seeing an unrolled, mostly blank scroll sitting in front of her with a pen in her hand. She was most definitely curious as to what Temari was writing down and just who she was writing too, but she didn't ask.

"I'm ready." She folded her hands in front of her body, right over left and her fingers occasionally fidgeting. Was she scared?

"Alright." Temari got up, setting the pen on the table and leaving the scroll behind as they walked out. "You should be warned though, the Hokage is a sensitive woman…"

"I know how to deal with village leaders. It's what I do for a living," Setsuko cut in softly, a look in her eyes as if she didn't want to do this.

Temari escorted Setsuko to the Hokage's office, leaving her at the front doors to find her way. With a thankful bow, Setsuko turned and entered the building, biting at her cheeks the entire time. The echo from her clacking heels made the silence around her almost bearable as she found her way to the Hokage's office; almost. She knocked on the door with a surge of confidence she don't know she had at this moment and walked in after a voice said she could. In front of her were two women, on with short black hair and matching eyes with a small pig in her hands, the other sat behind the desk in the center of the room and stared at her with what looked like a permanent look of underlining annoyance.

"How can I help you?" the woman sitting at the desk asked, her voice slightly deeper then normal but still very feminine.

Setsuko bowed respectfully, "My name is Princess Setsuko Ayani from Aisugakure, I'm here to meet with your village Hokage."

"Ah, yes, Setsuko. Gaara informed me of your visit. I'm Tsunade," she greeted in return, only offering a slight head dip as a bow. "What can we do for you?"

"Well, I'm sure a well traveled person such as yourself knows at least a little about Aisugakure correct?" Setsuko asked, not wanting to make Tsunade seem ill educated.

Tsunade laced her fingers together in front of her mouth as she leaned forward on her desk. "I remember hearing about a beautiful, thriving snowy oasis that was the pride of the Land of Blizzards. That was forty some odd years ago though."

Setsuko couldn't help but sigh with well placed depression. Tsunade was right. Their village had once been a lively, thriving village with many people and clans; something similar to the Hidden Leaf. All that however, was no more. "Yes, it's a sad fact that my village has suffered over the years, but that is why I'm here today." She brought her eyes to Tsunade's, a confident air about her than only a figure of high status could achieve. "I'm extending my reach to other lands and villages, asking for assistance in anyway possible. I wish to restore my village to its rightful glory; my people deserve better than what they have now."

* * *

Temari put the pen down, looking over what she had written. She smiled to herself and rolled it closed, sealing it. It was possible that she would get in trouble afterwards, but that didn't matter right now. She got up and left the hotel room, clutching the scroll tightly in her hand. Making it to the aviary in about half an hour, she found Takamaru resting in one of the cages. The shinobi in charge of watching the birds that lived and visited there greeted the Sand kunoichi but otherwise didn't bother her.

"Hey Takamaru," she greeted as she opened the cage. Hearing his name, the hawk brought his head up and looked towards Temari. At her behest to leave the cage, he obliged and scuttled onto her arm. "Be quick alright. This needs Gaara's attention right away." She strapped the scroll in her hand into the pouch on his back and let him free out one of the many windows in the aviary.

She watched the bird squawk and take off. Although the letter would reach him in a matter of hours to a day, she knew it would still be at least three until he arrived, unless he was truly in a hurry. She didn't make her letter seem urgent enough. Well, she hoped she did anyways.

* * *

"I definitely think there's something to be had from an alliance between our villages," Tsunade said with a confident grin at the much younger ruler.

Setsuko couldn't help the excited gasped and accompanying smile that was suddenly etched on her face. "Really?!" she cleared her throat. "Forgive me. That would be wonderful."

Tsunade smirked at the sudden display of happiness; it proved to her that this Princess really cared about her people. "I don't mind at all. In fact I find most dignitaries lacking the ability to feel truly happy about anything, so your display is refreshing."

She blushed lightly, "Thank you."

Setsuko notice the Hokage's features get a little more serious, if not dark. "I do have to ask you about the…darker practices of your village though. I have heard rumors."

"…" as Tsunade's features became serious, so did Setsuko's at the question. "Those kinds of practices have been outlawed since just before my reign. I have worked hard to swiftly deal with anyone I find using them in or outside my village. Such ideals and practices are barbaric and not tolerated by any means; I assure you."

"I would hope so. The jutsu are forbidden and the practices…well, I'm sure you know all too well." Her gaze held fast to the Princess, watching every move she made under her watch. Even though she was young, Tsunade was impressed; she never once faltered or flinched under such a taboo topic.

"Yes, I am well aware of them. Rest assured, I am very diligent that such things ever happen again. My village is already in turmoil, it doesn't need anymore." Setsuko held fast to her words, her perfect posture never wavering.

There was a long moment of silence, palpable and unnerving. Shizune, who had never introduced herself, felt as if the very building would explode any minute from their deadlocked gazes. "And what of the Ice Dragon? Is it true?"

It was barely noticeable, but there was the slightest of shifts within Setsuko's demeanor. "She's been dead for many years!" Her answer was quick and short. It was obvious that she did not wish to speak of the matter anymore than was required.

"I see…" Tsunade finally leaned back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. Although often unpleasant, these kinds of discussions were necessary when making alliances. She needed to know everything. "Alright. I'll have Shizune draft up a treaty and send it to you for negotiations and revisions."

Setsuko bowed rigidly. The subject of the Ice Dragon was a sour one for her. "Thank you very much. I look forward to it." she was about to turn to leave when she stopped. "I hope you don't mind if I stay a little longer. I heard you're having a spring festival in a few days and I was hoping to attend."

"No, of course not! It's going to be a spectacular event and graciously welcome you to do so." Tsunade gave her a cheeky smile; she had no reason to be suspicious of this Princess. She seemed to truly want to care about her village if she was reaching so far away from home to ally herself for their betterment.

"Again, thank you so much for your hospitality." She bowed again and then left the office.

"She was such a nice girl. Very respectful milady," Shizune piped up after the door had closed.

"Yeah, well they don't interact much with other villages so their etiquette has always been that way." Tsunade got up from her chair and looked out the window in time to see Setsuko meeting Temari outside. "They're more the peacekeeper type then anything else."


	19. Chilling Winds of Fate

**A/N: A little longer chapter. And oh ho! Plot twist(s)! I liked this chapter to, but I might wait a little on releasing 20 & 21. Something about them just doesn't sit right with me yet. They don't feel right. I dunno yet. Anyhow! Enjoy!**

* * *

The next day, things were still bustling for the festival that was supposed to take place the very next day. Temari was already gone by the time Setsuko woke up. When she could, she was more than willing to sleep in and ignore duty. Besides, it wasn't like she had much in the way of duty here! She had done her business and now she was free to do as she pleased until the festival. Slowly her eyes fluttered open to a pounding headache that made it impossible for her to sleep in any further than she had. The sudden onset was strange as she had never really gotten headaches before. What she didn't notice was that her left eye had seemed to change slightly. Her iris, the blue in her eyes, was glowing; not bright enough to illuminate anything other than her face, but it was definitely noticeable to anyone that looked at her.

Hissing in pain, she wrapped her hands around her head and buried herself into the feather pillows of the bed. Bringing her knees up to her chest, her back arched as he feet slowly moved in and out from beneath her, as if they were scratching at something. That pain was unbearable! It felt as if her head would explode any minute as it traveled down her neck and feeling it behind her eyes. She let a pained cry escape her lips, her voice choking in her throat. Through the pain, she could hear a voice; she could feel something stirring. The voice was smooth, warm, comforting and yet, held an underlining tone of malice and revenge. It called out to her, begging her to release it. She felt her stomach churn, like something was clawing to get out.

In her mind, the meadow with the giant block of ice she had seen before flashed before her eyes. Bone chilling air rolled off the ice like an avalanche, the sakura tree now gone. There was a powerful gust of wind, whipping her hair in all directions and tugging at her pajamas. Setsuko had to squint as hair was thrown in her face and the icy air steadily grew. Although her skin prickled from the cold, she wasn't actually bothered by it. What was this that stood before her? Why had she never seen it before? Where on earth had it come from? Reaching out hesitantly, she heard the voice beckoning her again, telling her to reach further. Setsuko surveyed the block, her left eye still glowing; there was a small to medium sized crack towards the top. Had that been there before? No, she remembered very clearly there hadn't been; even with that weird demonic tree wrapping its roots around it.

Had the tree caused the crack? She wasn't sure because she didn't see any others, just the one. Her fingertips lightly ran over the smooth surface of the ice. An ominous feeling dropped into the air. There was a glow from the crack and she watched it get the tiniest fraction bigger. There was something very wrong here and her hand instantly retreated. The change in her eye faded and Setsuko found herself staring at the darkness that was the shadow of her pillows. Pulling her head out from under them she looked around the room in suspicious curiosity, listening to the deathly quiet that made up the suite. Like a calm before the storm.

Setsuko shrugged to herself, her large shirt falling the fraction it need to completely hang off her right shoulder. Forcing herself out of bed, she trudged her way out of her room, rubbing her suddenly sore left eye, and opened the refrigerator that sat in their in-suite kitchen. Pulling one of the many flavored beverages she's bought since arriving two days ago, she opened it with a hiss from the bottle. In some technical sense she was on vacation so there was no need to be so formal, especially while she was alone. Setting the cap on the counter, she began to drink the mango and lemon flavored drink when she noticed a note sitting on the island. Looking down at it from the corner of her eye, she reached over and picked it up.

_Went out to do some official business. Be back this afternoon. We'll go shopping for yukatas for the festival when I get back._

_Temari_

Official business? What business did she have that she forgot to mention? Well, either way this meant she had a few hours to kill until Temari was finished. Glancing back at the note, she noticed her elder had drawn a miniature version of herself giving a peace sign. What a weirdo. Turning away from the note, she walked into the giant living room and opened the curtains, staring down the three four stories between her and the people. Looking over her shoulder to the clock, it read 9:34am. She took another long swig of her drink; what was she to do?

Setting her drink down on the coffee table, she walked to the bathroom and took a shower. After getting dressed and doing her hair, she ran her hands through her silky hair before returning to the living room and instantly taking another drink. The clock read 10:37am. She had lots of hair, which was what took most of her time. Unlatching the large windows, she slid open one of them to allow the nice spring breeze to flow into the room. Having out her hair in a messy, upside down bun, the rest of her long lock cascaded her back like a veil, gently moving to the breeze. Opening the book she had bought back in the Hidden Sand, she leaned back against the couch and began to read, listening to the hustle and bustle of the village below.

After who knows how long, Setsuko looked up to the ceiling from her odd angle on the couch. Sometime during her read, she had flipped her body so her legs were resting against the back of the couch and her head was hanging off the edge. Placing her finger in her book, she took the final gulp of her drink and set it back on the table before opening her book once again. She barely got half way through the page when she heard an ear splitting shout from outside. Turning her head, she could see Naruto on the roof of a building across the street glaring at her. He quickly and gracefully made his way to the open window of her hotel room, not even bothering with the fact that he was being rude by barging in.

"What is the big idea!?" he shouted, staring down at her with an annoyed glare.

Slowly she closed her book, placing her bookmaker inside. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I've been looking for you all night! Why'd you threaten to kill me then pay for my meal?" he asked loudly, watching her every move as she sat upright on the couch.

"Really? What kind of ninja are you that it took you all night to find me?" she asked with a sarcastic laugh.

Naruto felt that strange feeling in his gut again, like he had at Ichiraku's. There was something different about her. "I'm gonna be Hokage someday!"

Setsuko howled with laughter. "You. Hokage?"

He grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, not caring that he was probably breaking laws by touching a Princess. "Why's that so funny?" Something about this girl really pissed him off. Maybe it was because she was unnecessarily mean to him every time they saw each other.

She paid no mind to the compromising position she was in. "No, no, you becoming Hokage isn't the funny part. I think it's entirely possible. It's the image I get of you running a village. You don't know the first thing about it, _that's_ why it's so funny."

She thought he could become Hokage? Yet, she was still making fun of him about it. He was confused. Gently he let her go, Setsuko fixing her clothes. "What's you're deal anyways? Why are you…why did you act so nice at Ichiraku's?"

"I wasn't being nice."

"I dunno, seemed kinda nice to me."

"Then you're diluted."

"What are you talking about? You paid for my meal, a big one at that! I consider that pretty nice."

"I'm trying to make alliances. If the villagers hate me, how can I trust them if I ever needed their help?"

"So, you're just using us?!"

Setsuko crossed her arms under her chest and rolled her eyes. "Like I said, you don't know the first thing about running a village."

"Are you or not?!" Naruto narrowed his gaze; he didn't like people taking advantage of others. His blue eyes followed her as she walked over to the refrigerator and riffled through it. "Answer me."

"I never said I was using you but if you want something, you have to act a certain way to get it. Basic stuff to know when running a village." Setsuko shrugged as she pulled out one of the many sweets she had bought the other day. As she closed the door and stood up to face him, she was startled by Naruto being in her face.

Even though it was obvious the two were like water and vinegar, there was a strange attraction. It was like a tugging feeling in her stomach as it grew hot. Like the pure blissful, unattached lust people feel from time to time; that was how she felt while staring into his eyes. Her body wanted to reach out and touch him, but her mind made her stay put. She watched his hair rustle to the springtime wind and the steadfast look he was giving her. His eyes were a shade of blue she was used to seeing, but somehow his were far more enticing then any she had seen back home. As she stared, the only sound she could hear now was the thumping of her own heart in her ears. It was loud and annoying.

Deep, in the pit of her stomach, she felt that churn, like something was clawing to be freed. Her face cringed with pain for a split second, but enough to cause her to break their staring match. Swiftly she turned away from him, shutting her eyes tightly. She could feel the look of curiosity that now played on his face. A hand went to her abdomen, her nails digging into the fabric of her clothes. Naruto asked what was wrong, the sound of genuine concern laced in his words. How strange. Her eyes opened, her left eye glowing again. She told him it was nothing and asked him to leave; as nicely as she could. Temari would be back soon anyways and it would be compromising if he were caught here. She shut her eyes again and when they opened, the glowing faded.

Setsuko turned to Naruto, a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face. "I'm sorry Naruto, you have to go." She quickly ushered him out the window and shut it, latching and closing the curtains.

She rushed to the bathroom and surprisingly, relieved her stomach of all its contents. Wiping her chin with the back of her hand, she flushed the toilet and cleaned herself up. That was strange. She had never felt anything like that before. The pain from this morning was nowhere near that intense and it almost felt like it was, reacting to Naruto. Almost like poking at a sleeping bear. Was that true though? Was it reacting to Naruto? The first time had been before Naruto even showed up, so that couldn't be the case. So why then? Why had that strange feeling flared as Naruto was staring her down with the most intense look she had ever seen?

As she stared at herself in the mirror of her private bathroom, she felt like she wasn't herself. It felt like she was looking at a stranger. Even though this stranger had the same looks as her, the feeling was altogether different. She heard that warm voice again, although this time there was no pain to accompany it. It cooed out apologies and reassuring words, like a child trying to be forgiven. She watched as her brows stitched together in a forgiving fashion and turned away when she heard the door to their hotel room open. Coming around the corner from her room, Setsuko watched Temari flop onto the couch with an almost exhausted groan.

"Man! I'm ready to unwind, how about you?" she asked, looking over her shoulder at the young blonde. She took notice of how suddenly fragile Setsuko looked and was curious, but didn't say anything.

Setsuko was quiet for a few minutes, staring into Temari's teal eyes. Whether she was thinking something over or running through past thoughts wasn't able to be seen on the impassive look etched on her face.

"Hellooooooo!" Temari hummed as she waved a hand in front of Setsuko's face.

The Princess blinked a few times, a little startled at seeing Temari so close. "Oh, sorry. I was thinking about something."

Temari scrunched her face in curiosity, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine." She smiled up at Temari, pushing away whatever had been bothering her. "It's just, I ran into Naruto earlier. I get this…this strange feeling whenever I'm around him. I can't explain it."

"Hmph." Temari shrugged, not putting much thought into it. "Well, I told you we can go shopping for the festival when I got back. So let's go!" She grinned from ear to ear and grabbed Setsuko's arm, tugging her out of their suite with girlish excitement.

The two rushed down the many flights of stairs and onto the street. As the two walked and talked, Setsuko let her strange morning float to the back of her mind and disappear. She didn't need it mudding up her day of shopping! Temari was talking about the business she had to do, although something in her tone caused Setsuko to doubt that it was real business. Maybe she had had a secret rendezvous with Shikamaru that she didn't want anyone to know about. Either way, even though she made it sound very official and legitimate, Setsuko didn't actually believe her. The conversation soon changed and the girls were laughing, enjoying their hunt for a good shop to buy their clothes from.

Temari stopped suddenly, Setsuko walking a few feet ahead before realizing she had stopped. "Temari?"

"This place looks perfect!" Temari beamed as she grabbed Setsuko and dragged her inside.

There were a few girls inside looking and trying things on, when they were greets by an employee. "Ah, good afternoon ladies." The woman was as tall as Temari, but petite and looked to be full of poise. She had shoulder length amber hair and sweet chocolate eyes. "What can I help you with today?"

"We're looking for yukata for the spring festival," Temari replied, having already lost Setsuko in the see of clothing.

"Oh wonderful! Is there something in particular you were looking for?" the woman asked as she ushered Temari around to take a look at a few items.

Temari thought it over for a moment and shrugged. "Not really. I do know I like simple tastes though; I'm not much into fancy looking things."

The woman looked over to the excited Setsuko with apprehension. "And your friend?"

"Uh…I think she knows what she's doing." Temari waved her off and followed the woman.

While the woman was great at her job, Temari still wasn't finding that one that stood out to her. If she had known there was going to be a festival a happening in town, she would have brought her own. There was no helping it now though. She was shown a red one, a green one, a blue one and a yellow one. All were solid colors and long; simple and effective, how she liked it. But none of them stood out to her as the one she wanted. Setsuko on the other hand seemed to be having far less trouble, liking almost everything she put on.

Temari was about to give up when she spotted a clean pressed, solid colored, long yukata hanging on a back wall. Yukatas were usually long and traditional, but there were a few girls that preferred them to be a bit shorter; especially the girls now-a-days. She walked up to it, looking at the beautiful shade of purple; reminiscent of an orchid. A red obi sash complimented the hue and allowed for a wonderful contrast in tones. She pointed it out to the employee who helped her get it down and into the small changing room. Coming out to inspect herself, she saw Setsuko already at one of the mirrors looking at one of the shorter versions of yukatas.

The one she was currently wearing was beautiful and complimented her pale features perfectly. Temari walked up to the other mirror beside her, "I like that one."

Setsuko looked over at her with hesitation. "Do you really? You don't think it's too non-traditional?"

"Nah, it suits you better. Besides, you wear long dresses all the time; live a little," she replied with a cheeky grin.

Setsuko stared at her, earning a somewhat uncomfortable look from Temari. "Is that the one you're getting?"

Temari looked down at herself and then to the mirror. "What? Does it look horrible or something?"

"No, no!" So Temari did know how to be a girl after all. "It looks pretty on you. Purple really looks good on you." Setsuko shrugged off handedly. "I'm sure Shikamaru will like it. He's a simple guy." Glancing over at the older blonde, she let a playful grin spread across her lips when she saw Temari quickly look away from her and fidget the slightest bit.

Somewhere off in the village, lying on an isolated hillside, Shikamaru suddenly sneezed.


	20. The Ice in the Spring

**A/N: Whoa! The big 20!**

**So I re-edited this one only a bit. Did some minor grammatical fixes, took out a thing or two. Blah blah blah, but nothing about this chapter changed much. Going through 21 & 22, major issues. I didn't realize how big of a mess mostly 22 was. Holy cow! Which is why I'm releasing this chapter before tomorrow.**

**Also, I'm thinking about putting updates on my profile for how the story is progressing and if their are any stops on a chapter or whatever because right now, my brain is on meltdown mode. This story has my brain constantly moving and being on a computer all day already for school is killing me. I'll put an update tonight so I don't have to make bullshit chapters talking about why nothing's happening.**

**Oh oh oh! Also, I'm thinking about giving my chapters titles. If you guys have any good ideas just PM them to me. Tell me what chapter and the title and if I like it, I'll totally use it. I'll give you guys all the credit for to of course.**

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Gaara arrived in the Hidden Leaf Village hastily, Kankuro right on his heels, panting. The young Kazekage had received an urgent summons saying that something terrible had happened and the Hokage was requesting his presence immediately. His mind had instantly gone to the safety of Setsuko. She had been gone for almost a week now and they had received no word from either woman on how things were going or when they would be back. When he had said a few days, he did not mean a whole week! Kankuro cleared them with the gate guards, although it wasn't all that necessary because of the strong alliance the Leaf and Sand had now that Gaara was Kazekage, and the two entered the village. Kankuro was still slightly out of breath as he tried keeping up with his younger brother.

"Why'd we have to get here so fast?" Kankuro asked as he finally steadied his breathing.

The two noticed the setup of what looked like a festival, and the crowded streets. Although Gaara looked calm, Kankuro knew he wasn't. He was walking way to fast to be calm. "We've been summoned on an urgent matter. Urgent means quick."

Kankuro gave an exasperated groan, but quickly shut his mouth when Gaara glared at him.

Gaara could careless about his brother's moaning, he had business to attend too. Although, now that he was traveling the streets of Konoha, he wondered of they would run into Setsuko and his sister. His mind wandered to thoughts of Setsuko. Since they had been gone, he had thought of almost nothing else except her and honestly, he hated it. He didn't understand it and that's what frustrated him the most. During his work his mind would wander to her immersed face as she read her books, or the night she kidnapped him to go to the beach. In the very few times where he wasn't working his mind would flicker over to the way she played with her hair when she was bored or the sound of her innocent laughter. His mind was full of her and it bothered him.

She had been gone far too long for his liking. Given her delicate situation he was worried about her. It was true, they hadn't seen hide or hair of an assassin recently, but that didn't mean they weren't plotting; waiting for the right moment to strike. What if one of them had followed her to the Hidden Leaf and killed her? He would have no way of knowing until his sister had informed him. Maybe that was what this urgent summons was about. Maybe an assassin had finally succeeded in their goal to eliminate her.

His thoughts were so scrambled, he didn't realize he had made it to the Hokage's office until he flung open the door and heard it slam against the wall. Tsunade looked up from her work, Shizune as well, and looked at him with surprise and curiosity. "Gaara?" She could see the hidden look of worry on his face. "What are you doing here?"

Although he was indeed worried, he hid it very well. "I received an urgent message that you wanted to see me."

Tsunade's brow knitted together as she continued to look at him. She let her gaze break away and to look up at Shizune, who looked down at her with the same puzzled expression. She turned back to him. "I didn't send any messages to you and I haven't recently. I don't know what you received but it most certainly wasn't from me."

Kankuro felt the air around Gaara darken. He wasn't the type to enjoy mind games. A feeling of dread washed over the puppet master as he eyed his brother carefully. Oh god, whoever did this is probably gonna die, he thought as he scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"I see." Gaara went silent as his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm sorry for my rude intrusion. Forgive me." He gave Tsunade a respectful bow and swiftly turned on his heel to leave.

Kankuro followed him quickly, the boys leaving a confused Tsunade and Shizune behind. The air around Gaara was stale and heavy, he was pissed. No, Gaara was beyond that, he was murderous. Everyone that passed them saw the look, and although he had changed drastically, held the look of pure fear on their faces. He was most certainly not the same kid as he was three years ago, but he had no qualms about killing people. Unknown to Gaara, Kankuro had a sneaking suspicion of who might have caused the flare of anger to stir in their brother. He sighed roughly, Temari, you idiot. He knew his sister well; this was just like her.

* * *

Temari and Setsuko had gotten a late start to their day; both sleeping in. For once, Setsuko was the first one up. Although, she couldn't really sleep with the ridiculous dreams she was having. Sitting quietly on the couch reading and trying to occupy herself, her mind wandered to the dreams she had. As she tried to concentrate, her thighs rubbed together as a searing hot feeling swirled in her stomach. Unconsciously, she bit into her bottom lip as her free hand rubbed her thighs. Realizing her actions, she cursed herself and slammed her book shut. She wasn't able to read like this!

Ever since they had left the Hidden Sand, she was having more and more dreams about him. Some were cute, some were weird, some were confusing and some were just plain graphic; like the one she had just woken up from. To say she was agitated would have been a mild way to look at it. She was by no means ready to start shooting her mouth off, but she wasn't exactly in the best of moods either.

With an annoyed sighed, that was in more ways a growl than a sigh, she got up from her spot on the couch and walked to the kitchen. Maybe filling her stomach rather than her mind would calm her down some. She plopped into a seat at the island in the middle of the kitchen, and angrily took a bite of some warmed up dumplings. Resting her elbows on the island, she absentmindedly toyed with her hair. She had every hope that this trip would have helped her take her mind off her confusing thoughts; straighten her out a bit. That hadn't even come close to happening! In fact, it was quite possible that she was even more confused now, then when she had left. It wasn't long into her thoughts that she heard Temari lazily shuffle into the kitchen.

"Have you talked to Shikamaru yet?" she asked, watching Temari rummage through the fridge with closed eyes.

"Mmm," was all she grunted back.

Setsuko cocked a brow curiously. "So, when and where are we meeting him?"

Temari mumbled something inaudible before chugging the milk they had bought earlier.

"That sounds like a great plan! Do you actually want to say it this time?" Setsuko mocked with a small snigger being heard after.

"I said! He's supposed to meet us here around 1pm or so," she reiterated with an annoyed huff before putting the carton of milk back.

Setsuko almost choked on her dumpling. "Temari, you do realize it's already 11:40 right?"

Temari looked over at her lazily before turning her gaze to one of the clocks. She stared at it for a moment before her eyes shot open. "Oh my god! We don't have enough time to get ready before he gets here!" She scrambled out of the kitchen and to her room, with lightning speed.

Setsuko just laughed and slowly got up, walking back to her room to get ready as well.

It had been two hours when there was a knock at the door. Temari said she would get it which left Setsuko in her room wondering where the time had gone. She was barely even ready when she heard Temari talking to someone that sounded vaguely like Shikamaru, but she wasn't entirely sure. It had been sometime yesterday when they had asked him if they could hang out with him at the festival. He had originally said that he wasn't planning on going, but she and Temari were able to convince him otherwise. He had played it off as nothing, saying that his friend Choji had asked him to come along anyways. Setsuko could hear another voice that was unfamiliar to her; that must have belong to Choji, Shikamaru's friend.

"Setsuko!" Temari's voice called out to her.

"Yeah?!"

"Are you ready yet? We're getting ready to leave."

Setsuko looked at herself in the mirror. "No, just go on ahead. I'll meet you guys there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go on, I'll be there soon." Setsuko heard the door close found herself all alone. Looking back into the mirror, she saw her left eye glowing, feeling a bead of sweat roll down her neck. It didn't last long enough this time to cause her any serious pain, just mild discomfort.

Splashing her face with water, she took in a few deep, slow breaths before continuing to get ready. She didn't know what was going on, but it was happening too frequently for her to be able to hide during a festival. Her head dropped, looking at her hands, wondering if going was a good idea now. What was she saying? Of course it was a good idea! It was just what she needed to keep her mind off the more invasive thoughts that swirled in her head.

* * *

Temari, Shikamaru and Choji were half way towards the center of town when an imposing figure stopped them dead. Although the figure itself wasn't very tall, the feeling emanating from them was enough to make it feel that way. All three of them seemed a little nervous as sharp, sea foam green eyes drilled holes into them; a scowl tattooed on his face. He looked as if he was ready to ring his sister's neck as he sent his entire angry gaze towards her. Temari looked at her youngest brother with a sheepish grin, silently asking for forgiveness at her action. By the way he was staring through her, she only guessed he had talked with the Hokage and found her letter to be a hoax. She had figured he would leave right away, but she didn't expect him to get here in record time.

"Temari…" His voice was low and grinding in their ears, like nails on a chalk board. He didn't need to raise his voice to let people know he was mad.

She chuckled nervously. "Gaara! What are you doing here so soon?"

"That was a dumb move Temari. You should have seen his look ten minutes ago," Kankuro butted in with arms proudly crossed across his chest, glad he wasn't the target.

She shot her brother a glare. "Shut up Kankuro!" She looked down at Gaara, noting that his fingers were impatiently tapping against his biceps.

He made no move to stop either of his siblings from bickering with each other; such a thing was normal. His scowl said everything he wanted to say, waiting for her reply as to why she had tricked him.

"Hey, what makes you think that Setsuko was the only one that needed a break? You've been confined just as much as she has, if at all possible, even more so. You both deserve to stretch your legs and enjoy yourselves, so I thought this was the best idea. I knew you wouldn't have agreed to come if I had just told you what was going on so, I improvised." She gave an off handed, but nervous, shrug.

Everyone watched and waited for his response. His scowl hadn't yet dropped, causing everyone to be on pins and needles about what would happen next. With an annoyed sigh, his body relaxed. "Fine. If you ever do that again though, I won't be so nice."

Everyone relaxed. "Hey, where is the Princess anyways?" Kankuro finally asked, now that everything was calm.

"She's back at the hotel getting ready. She wasn't quite done and told us she'd meet us at the festival." Shikamaru shrugged a reply.

Temari nodded. "Yep, so let's head over there already!" She ushered everyone in the direction of the festival before any of them could protest. When they all finally started walking on their own, she secretly nudged her little brother.

He glanced up at her, his anger having dwindled away.

She leaned in so no one else would hear her. "You're gonna like what Setsuko is wearing, trust me."

Silently he raised a curious brow, not quite understanding her meaning.

"Just, try not to let your jaw hit the ground when you see her, okay?" She sent him a radiant smile, one he was sure he'd never seen before, and watched as she grabbed Shikamaru's arm and dragged him ahead of the rest of them.

What had she meant?

* * *

Setsuko was finally finished getting ready and racing down the street. She wasn't sure where she would meet anyone, so she just ran in a guessed direction. Her black geta sandals slapped against the balls of her feet, drowned out by the noise of the crowds. She gracefully weaved through people as she tried to locate Temari and the others. Finally making it to the heart of the festival, she wasn't paying attention when she bumped into somebody. The two bodies collided and she was sent falling on her butt. Wincing in pain, she got up and dusted off the dirt.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going, I didn't mean to run into you," she quickly apologized, bowing repeatedly.

Setsuko watched as the woman she ran into was dusting off the dirt from her own body. She had long, silky platinum blonde hair resting over her slim shoulders as her bangs shielded her eyes from view. The pale cream of her skin was unblemished and looking as if it gave off an unnatural glow. Her yukata was long and black with what looked like a blue dragon spiraling the entire length of the outfit, the white obi sash contrasting the black. Slowly the woman looked up, "No, no, it's alright Princess."

"Are you sure?" Setsuko cut herself short, a strange, uneasy feeling welling inside her as she looked into the powder blue eyes that stared back at her.

"Yes, however you're lucky." The woman paused as her unseen hand held a blade that she tucked into a holster on her thigh. "Things could have turned out far worse for you, if I hadn't reacted in time."

Setsuko's eyes widened a little, having never noticed the blade she had been palming. "Thank goodness no one was hurt."

The woman nodded, "Yes indeed."

"Um, I'm sorry but I need to go. Again I'm sorry for running into you like that." She bowed in apology and quickly ran around her.

Her eyes flickered to the side as she watched, almost in slow motion, the woman she bumped into. The woman didn't make a move and seemed to have her bangs once again shield her eyes from view. However, the smirk on her lips didn't sit well with Setsuko as she passed her. She didn't bother looking back at her, afraid that if she did, the woman would take the opportunity to strike. Who was that woman though? Looking into her eyes, she felt a sense of familiarity; like she had seen her somewhere before. She didn't remember meeting her before. Most of all, how had she known that she was a Princess? There was definitely something wrong about that woman.


	21. Burning Flowers

**A/N: FINALLY! I got this chapter working. This chapter is a little longer than normal. Dunno how it happened, but it did, though I'm not really complaining all that much. Added stuff that I never expected to and now have to rewrite like four chapters just to add in the new stuff I put in here. All because I was starting (originally) chapter 24 and one dumb sentence made me go back and rewrite nearly this entire chapter so that ONE sentence had validity. **

**Anywho, the assassins are gonna start making their comeback in a few chapters which I can't wait for. Once they make their full return, there's gonna be action. Action yeah! Enjoy!**

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Setsuko had finally slowed her pace to a casual walk, timidly, but excitedly, looking at everything that was on display in the shops. The decorations were all spring themed which meant, soft pastel tones and lots of flowers. Looking up, each lantern was white with pink cheery blossoms on them and the streamers were a mix of gold, white, pink and green. Looking around, her eye was caught by a single shop with large bouquets on display in obvious celebration. There were lilies with baby bonnets, roses with lavenders, orchids with daffodils; the arrangements were endless. Yamanaka Flower Shop. She smiled to herself and walked in to take a look around.

Inside it was just as festive with even more arrangements than there were outside. Standing at the counter was a single girl with long, bleach blonde hair in a ponytail; bangs covering one eye. Her skin was fair and her eyes were blue. She wore a deep red yukata with a distinctive and contrasting sakura tree on it; blossoms falling from the branches like an invisible wind were carrying them away. The obi sash around her small waist was a corresponding pink to match the blossoms.

"Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop! I'm Ino, how can I help you?" she greeted with a sweet smile.

"I'm not sure actually. Although I love the arrangements, they're absolutely stunning," she replied.

Ino eyed the girl, someone she had never seen before. "Are you new in town?"

"Is it that obvious?" Setsuko blushed lightly, her fingers resisting the urge to fidget.

The girl laughed and stepped out from around the counter. "Kind of." She walked over to an arrangement of lilies, all of whom were in full bloom and showing off their brilliant white and yellow colors.

Setsuko watched silently as she cut the stem short and seemed to spruce it up just a bit. Ino walked over, standing eye to eye with her and slowly reach over to place the flower in her hair.

"It's in honor of the festival." She placed the flower in her platinum hair at an angle that only seemed to bring out her natural beauty even more. "There, now you look ready to enjoy the festival."

She held up a mirror, smiling and it only grew bigger when Setsuko gasped. "Are you sure?! I mean, I would feel wrong just taking this from you."

Ino set the mirror down. "But you're not. I'm giving it to you."

"Oh thank you!" Setsuko squealed happily as she gave a happy clap. Turning on her heel, she quickly made her way and back onto the street.

With her fingers absentmindedly playing with the ends of her hair, she continued to make her way through the festival to find Temari. There were so many stands where people could play games, most occupied by couples. Temari was right; this really did seem to be a festival of love. She had seen so many couples on her walk through the village and each stand seemed to be overrun by them. Watching as boyfriends tried to win prizes for their girlfriends, Setsuko felt a swell of loneliness hit her. Although it never showed on her face or in her demeanor, she felt it. It would have been nice to spend her time with someone special during this joyous time.

Almost as if a beacon to her, from a distance she saw Temari. Standing feet away from the group, she was surprised to see Gaara and his older brother Kankuro with the small group. She could see Kankuro standing a little ways away trying to pick up on a cute girl, Temari and Choji were playing some kind of game she couldn't make out, Shikamaru was standing behind them with a bored look, and Gaara was a little off to the side, his arms crossed defiantly across his chest. He looked utterly bored and unimpressed with everything going on around him, barely paying any attention to the people he was with. She watched as Shikamaru seemed to start a half hearted conversation with him; watching his head move in response to whatever they were talking about.

Gaara could feel eyes on him during his small talk with Shikamaru. The guy didn't say much so Gaara didn't have any problems with him and the sarcastic comments he made about the game he was watching his sister play. His eyes looked around, trying to find out where the staring was coming from when his body froze. Shikamaru looked over at his sudden rigid stance and followed his gaze lazily. Standing feet away from them, watching them, was Setsuko. Her long hair was a cascade of curls flowing down her back and just under her butt, a single white lily pinned in her hair to accent her pale beauty. Even though technically her eyes always kind of sparkled because of their shade, they seemed especially hypnotically mystical with the light bit of makeup that was barely noticeable on her face. The yukata she wore was short, coming just above her knees. Its beautiful deep, dark, navy blue color looked like the night sky which was only made even clearer with the sweet, light blue stars that lined the hem and sleeves of the outfit. The accompanying obi sash was a light purple color mixed with white to contrast the heavy darkness of the blue.

Even though he didn't know her and she wasn't really his type, Shikamaru had a hard time tearing his eyes away. Gaara was just, frozen. He didn't know what to say or what to do as she slowly made her way over to them. What he did know was that all the anxiety he had been feeling since she left the village had suddenly disappeared. Her beauty was something he had never seen before. He felt his breath hitch in his throat as he watched the bounce in her curls and the slight sway in her hips. No, he was being ridiculous! He didn't have feelings for people. He didn't like people. What he had felt for Hui was mere physical attraction that much he had figured out. He wouldn't allow himself to be swayed by her icy beauty. The thought of her chilling touch sent an unnoticed shiver down his spine.

"Thank goodness I finally found you guys! I've been running around this village all day trying to find you guys." She laced her hands behind her back and smiled at those that were paying attention, namely Gaara and Shikamaru.

"What took you so long anyways?" Shikamaru asked, wishing he had pockets in his olive green yukata.

"I accidentally ran into this really creepy woman and then I checked out the Yamanaka Flower Shop." She pointed to the flower in her hair.

Shikamaru's eyes wandered to the flower she was pointing to. "I assume Ino gave that to you then." It was more a statement then a question.

She nodded happily, "Yes, she did!" She turned to Gaara, giving him a perplexed look. His eyes were just focused on her, unmoving, unblinking. "Gaara, when did you get here? I wasn't aware you were coming."

He didn't say a word. It was like he didn't even hear her.

"I invited him." Temari suddenly cut in, hanging on her brother with a cheeky grin. "He was so lonely back home that I thought a nice outing with friends would do him some good." She playfully winked at Setsuko who blushed lightly and looked away nervously.

Again, he said nothing. He didn't even flinch when Temari slung herself around him.

"Well if Gaara isn't going to say anything, I will." Kankuro slid up to Setsuko who looked at him oddly, her eyes shifting from side to side rapidly. She wasn't sure what was going on. He took her hand gingerly, causing the tiniest of gasps from her and was about to say something when he was torn away by his sister.

"Oh stop it Kankuro, you're weirding her out!"

"I am not! I making the mood."

"The mood to want to slap you maybe."

"What do you even know Temari? You're too much of a guy to understand anything."

"Then how do you?"

Kankuro had no comeback for that. Even if he did think of one, he was seconds to late to deliver in and hurt her pride so he shut his mouth.

"Yeah, that's what I thought." She turned back to Setsuko who had an amused smile on her face at their sibling banter. "Besides," she paused and shoved Gaara hard enough to where he stumbled and toppled onto her. "We're gonna have to run for our lives now."

Setsuko shrieked as Gaara fell on top of her, blushing all the while. Temari and the others had already left by the time she was able to look away from his own startled eyes. Her gaze slowly traveled back to Gaara's face, swearing she could see red tainting his rather pale face. Was he embarrassed? It wouldn't really matter because she was sure she was embarrassed enough for the both of them. She could feel her face burning as she stared up at him. She didn't have to look to be able to know where each part of his body was against hers. His arms were on either side of her neck, right at her shoulders, one leg was between hers while the other was beside it, and his hips were almost square with hers, although with the few inches difference in their height he was just a little off. She could feel his breath against her face, the smell of spices, mainly cinnamon touching her cheeks.

Gaara was caught off guard as he was thrust into Setsuko's body by his sister. With no time to react, he was toppling over the girl and hearing them run away. He was able to brace her fall the slightest of bits by placing a hand behind her head so she wouldn't hurt herself. As he made his way to get up, placing his hands on either side of her, he was caught by her eyes. His own traveled over her face, noticing how her hair fanned out around her shoulders and the red color now replacing her normally pale skin. Her eyes glimmered with nervousness and something he couldn't quite make out. The exhale of her shaky breath mingled with his before the scent of spearmint hit his senses. In this position how could he not stare at her? He wanted to graze his fingers along her cheeks, feel that sting her touch always brought him, but he stopped himself. How could one girl do so much to him without doing anything at all? Did he love her? It was unclear at this point, but she certainly made strange thoughts run through his mind and cause his body to want to disobey him. He felt her shift under him, making it painfully obvious how close they were. Taking in a deep breath, he finally, and reluctantly, tore himself away.

"My sister is an idiot." His words were cold as always. He stuck his hand out, offering to help her up.

Setsuko hesitantly took the offer feeling all his muscles do the work to get her on her feet. "Uh…yeah, I uhm, I kind of gathered that."

There was a silence between them; an uncomfortable one.

"We should catch up to them right?" Setsuko couldn't stop the incessant pounding her heart was doing. Having been so close to Gaara just seconds ago really jarred her.

He nodded quickly, turning on his heels and following the direction they had taken. He need to put distance between them or his mind might explode.

"Oh, Gaara wait!" she called after him, running to catch up with him.

Catching up to him, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. His arms were crossed across his chest like always and his expression was emotionless, like always. Even though his person gave away no hints, the air around him was anxious and confused. Something had to be bothering him. Although she wanted to know, she couldn't muster the courage to ask him about it; besides, he'd never tell her anyways. She let her gaze drop to her feet. She had come to the realization that she had missed him and indeed had feelings for him, but that they would never be returned. He wasn't the type of person to allow himself the openness of something like that. As her mind drifted from thought to thought that only made her more and more depressed, she slowed her pace to where she was now walking behind him.

He watched her watch him, discreetly. What was she thinking about while she stared at him? When her eyes left him, he wanted to ask what was wrong but he wasn't a man of many words or emotions. His mouth refrained from asking anything and just continued to watch her. Her pace had begun to slow, her eyes looking sad and strangely, rejected. What was she so upset about suddenly? He hadn't said anything to her so it couldn't have been his fault. Did something happen to her while he wasn't around; something bad? Why was he acting like she was a helpless child all the time? He rolled his eyes at his own question. Of course he knew the answer, he wanted to take care of her, make sure she was alright. He was confused again.

The two teens finally caught up to the others who were in the midst of playing a game involving fishing for magnetized fish to win a prize. Despite how simple it sounded, it seemed harder than it looked as many children walked away disappointed they hadn't won anything. Temari and Choji were once again the only ones playing, however Kankuro and Shikamaru were both cheering for them. In the end, Choji hooked a fish that had the number six on it, while Temari ended up with one that had the number one. Gaara watched with a blank look, not understanding their fascination with wanting to play simple games like these, and wondering how they could even be considered entertaining. Setsuko on the other hand, joined in the cheering rather quickly, jumping onto the two boys with exuberant excitement. His sea green eyes blinked in startled surprise at her sudden burst of energy.

"Oh, let me try! Let me try!" she exclaimed as she slid away from the two boys and plopped down next to Temari and Choji with a large grin.

The man that was running the game smiled at her. "Well hey there little lady! Want to give it a try do ya?"

Setsuko nodded her head of curls vigorously. "Yes sir!"

The man laughed heartily, "That's the spirit!" He handed her a small fishing pole. "Alright young lady, this is how it works. You get three tries. There is a number system of 1-15. One through five is the smallest prizes, six through ten are medium prizes and eleven through fifteen are the largest prizes. But!" He paused, holding up a finger and winking, causing Setsuko's breath to hitch curiously. "There are three special prizes marked by the red circles. Get one of those and you could win something even bigger!"

"I wonder what they could be!" Excitedly, she looked through the small buckets of fake fish, looking for just which one she was going to try and catch.

Everyone behind her, except Gaara, cheered for her. Their excited shouts drifting onto deaf ears as she thought long and hard about where she would place the fake fishing pole. Her eyes held fast with determination as they flickered through the many buckets and the many fish. There were only three with the red circles on them so she would have to choose wisely. That was easier said than done though. With, one, two, three, six buckets, her chances weren't good. Her eyes flashed a moment when she saw a kid throw in his pole and one fish bobbed to the side before correcting itself. It had a red circle on it! Her eyes were focused as she reeled back the pole and threw it in, watching the singular fish intently. She watched as it slowly bobbed closer towards her line before a wicked grin spread from ear to ear.

"Gotcha!" she shouted as she moved the line the tiniest of bits before pulling it out. Her face was beaming as she caught the little fake fish and held it out for the man to see. On its belly was a red circle staring back at him.

"Well what do ya know? We have a winner!" His face lit up almost as much as Setsuko's did when he spoke his words.

There was a childish squeal from Setsuko. Beside her, each of her friends was curious as to what kind of secret prize await her. Gaara stood off to the side, watching from the corner of his eye. She looked so happy; so carefree. Why couldn't he be that open with his emotions? He was no longer plagued by the murderous voice in his head and no longer thought of as a monster. So why was it still so hard for him? Temari was gently shaking Setsuko in blissful glee as she was surrounded by excited cheers. She looked so proud of herself. He watched as she talked to the man and he motioned for her to go around to the back of his stand where his wife would help her pick out one of the three prizes awaiting her.

"Hey Gaara!" She was suddenly in his face, something he did no expect.

His eyes looked at her with a bit of a startled look, blinking. They followed every movement as she bounced up and down on her heels in front of him.

"Come with me to pick out a prize!" She grabbed his hand and drag him off with her to pick out a special prize.

He was a little taken back by this apparent want of hers to have him join her. "W-wait!" his voice wasn't even heard as it stuttered out the word. Glancing back at the others, he saw nothing but smiles on their faces as they watched. Did they know something he didn't?

The teens rounded the corner and found themselves standing at the back door of this small stand. Gaara looked down, Setsuko had yet to let go of his hand. Shifting his gaze back up, he watched as an older woman opened the door with a joyful, warm smile. She welcomed them to follow her and Setsuko was once again dragging him against his will. Inside was nothing special. It was lit well but it was small; like a storage shed. There was another door that led to the festivities outside and just to the left there was a small table with three prize choices. Finally Setsuko let go of his hand and walked up to the table, peering down at them while he hung back and crossed his arms.

"Hm, which should I chose Gaara?" she asked curiously, a finger to her chin.

He grunted a response at her.

She giggled at him, amused by his attempts to ignore her. "So very informative. Lets see…" Her words trailed off as she continued to look from item to item. "There's…Oh! Two tickets to a resort in Shubuka Town!"

Gaara stiffened in embarrassment as he felt his face start to burn. Glancing over to Setsuko, he prayed that she wasn't looking at him right now. Thankfully she wasn't, too immersed in happily staring at the tickets and looking through the two other items. Staring at the look on her face, his mind began to race with thoughts that would make anyone blush. Closing his eyes, he scoffed and looked away from her, trying very hard to push the thoughts away.

"Hm…Oh?" He had heard the curiosity in her voice which caused him to turn back around. She was bent over sideways, looking at something but it was blocked from his view by her long hair. "Ma'am, what is this thing?"

The old woman came over to them, looking down at whatever she was pointing at. "Oh! That's actually not a prize. My husband found it in the pit of an inactive volcano back in his shinobi days. It was the sight of a graveyard from a long forgotten battle, or so I was told."

"What's with all the seals and stuff though?" Setsuko crouched down, placing her hands on her knees as she looked at it.

Gaara's curiosity was peeked. Seals? He silently scooted closer and peered over her shoulder. There was a small, wire, square cage covered in seals. Whatever was inside though was obstructed from his view by all the paper seals.

Glancing down, he could see intrigue played on her face. Setsuko tilted her head to the side and peeled off one of the seals. "What are you doing?!" the woman gasped.

"I want this." She was blunt. She peeled off another seal, "I mean, the resort tickets are tempting and all but…but I want this." She paused as she removed two more seals. "I'll even pay you for it."

She had continued to remove the many seals that covered the cage, the entire time Gaara's interest grew. He knew it was probably a bad idea if it was sealed like this, but it had been sealed for about thirty years or so. Could it really be all that bad? He was fooling himself, of course it could. He reached out and grabbed her delicate wrist. She looked up at him perplexed.

"What?" she asked blinking.

"It's sealed. Do you really think this is a good idea?" He stared into her eyes without looking away, trying to be serious. He had to admit though, it was a little tough.

From his peripherals he could see her free hand unlatch the cage and reach in. her gaze broke from his first and she gasped softly. Turning around, she held out the object with a smile, her wrist still in his hand. "Gaara look! It's an egg!"

He was a little surprised to find something like that in a sealed cage. The shell was tear drop shaped with a pale yellow color, almost white. Smack dab in the middle of the shell was a small blue flame. What creature could lie inside?

Slowly he let go of her wrist, reaching out to touch the egg. His hand was hesitate and a little shaky as it drew closer. Gingerly he placed his hand over the small blue flame painted on the egg. It was warm. He looked at Setsuko, a look of purity on her face, like she had fallen utterly in love with it already. Suddenly her face was illuminated in a bright light. Swiftly looking back at the egg, the entire room was engulfed in the light, having to shield his eyes from blindness. When the light had died and he was once again able to see, his attention was turned to Setsuko when he heard a gasp.

Gaara looked to her face first. Her eyes were wide, her mouth wider with a smile clearly visible on it. She seemed taken over by an emotion he was unfamiliar with. Letting his travel to where hers were looking and seemed breathless at what he saw. In the palm of her hands was a tiny glowing light in the shape of some kind of animal. It looked to be about the size of a chipmunk, maybe a little smaller with a slightly longer body. Its eyes were big and pure white; there were no pupils, or irises, just sclera. It had long ears much like a rabbit, floppy like them too, and a small tail that twitched almost happily. Its fur was a mixed of white and blue, being whiter closer to the center of its body. What was the strangest perhaps was that its entire body was covered in blue flames, from the tip of the ears to the tip of the tail, but seeing as they weren't burning Setsuko, they must not have been hot.

"What is it?" he found himself asking in amazement, having never seen anything like this before.

"I have no idea," she replied with the same breath of amazement he did. She gently ran a finger long its forehead, the flames moving back and forth as she did so; just like real fur.

"This is amazing!" the woman gasped as she watched the teens interact with the strange creature. Gaara outstretched his hand slowly as not to startle the little thing. "It's a Shibokasai."

"A what?" Setsuko asked, turning her attention to the old woman. The little creature looked at Gaara's hand, sniffing it hesitantly. Its floppy ears perked up, the flames licking the air, and happily jumped towards Gaara.

Its body instantly turned into a tiny blue ball of fire and whirled around him quickly. "A Shibokasai are like Will-o'-the-Wisps, only for the dead." Its tiny body reappeared on Gaara's shoulder, happily nuzzling its tiny head against his neck. "It would seem, the two of you caused it to hatch."

Both teens looked at her quizzically. "So, we're like…parents?" Setsuko asked with mild embarrassment.

"It would seem so. Well, since we can't keep it now, I guess I have no choice but to give you the Shibokasai as a prize." The woman smiled at both of them and went back to the festival.

Gaara and Setsuko looked at each other before quickly looking away, both of them blushing. This was awkward. Setsuko risked a glance upward and giggled at the little creature still lovingly cozying up to Gaara. "I think he likes you."

There was a squeak from the Shibokasai as its body and flames turned red, obviously in anger. At least he could get animals to like him.

"Oh, excuse me!" She grinned cheekily at him. "Always so popular with the ladies Gaara." He seemed a little embarrassed by her statement, quickly looking away with a huff and a glare. She instantly erupted into laughter and made her way to the door, laughing the whole time she exited.


	22. Descending Snowflakes

**A/N: Okay, so I realize that I forgot to let you in on the translation of Shibokasai. Silly me.**

**Shibokasai: It's actually two words I combined; Shibo Kasai. It's a very, very loose translation of Death Fire. The creature's origins and stuff won't actually get mentioned in this story. I'm saving that for a possible future.**

**I'm also, probably, going to have to change the rating to M soon. I did not realize, while running this story through my head, just how mature the ending is. But now that I'm writing it, I can tell it is!**

**Also! More plot twisties! Most of which will NOT be covered in this story, but in that possible future I mentioned. So, try not to get mad at me when I don't give explanations as to why certain things are happening. All in good time my readers! Enjoy!**

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"What's that?" Shikamaru asked as the two finally emerged from the back of the game stand, seeing the strange ball of blue fire near Gaara's shoulder.

He awkwardly glanced at it and back at them, but said nothing.

"It's called a Shibokasai. They're kind of like Will-o'-the-Wisps." Setsuko ran a finger through the whipping flames with a smile. "It was hanging out in a sealed cage back there so…I took it."

Everyone seemed to smash together as they leaned in close to get a better look at it, struck by awe and curiosity. Gaara instantly felt uncomfortable having them so close to him.

"I've never heard of anything like that before," Shikamaru spoke up, staring at it with more fascination that was known from the Nara clan member.

Suddenly everyone gasped as its body slowly formed in front of them, sitting on Gaara's shoulder nervously. "Wow! It's so pretty!" Temari cooed. She looked up at them, "What are you guys gonna name it?"

There was a moment of silence. "Wakana." Everyone looked at Gaara with expectant eyes as to why he wanted to name it that. Glancing to his shoulder, he let a finger run through the flaming fur; it wasn't hot at all. "I've always wanted to name my daughter Wakana, if I ever had a daughter that is. But I don't see that happening ever." His eyes traveled back to everyone else, their faces full of shock. His eyes darted between each of them, giving them a strange and confused look before he glared at them. "What?"

"I like it." Setsuko leaned in close to him with a soft smile, almost purring her words to him. The sound made him shiver, which earned a curious look from the newly named creature.

The group continued their journey around the festival with unbound happiness; except for Gaara. He was still as silent and moody as ever, even with the tiny floating ball hovering around him. His fingers drummed against his biceps in contemplation. Looking between everyone, he saw their joy and laughter. Even Wakana seemed to be enjoying herself as she occasionally left his shoulder to play with the others. Most of all though, he was watching Her laughter and joy. She was so full of it today. The breeze smelled of flowers and candy as it passed by and through her long, curly hair. Her hair swept at her back and he caught a glimpse of her face. She was smiling; she was always smiling. Even when she was with him she was smiling. Why? He didn't seem himself as all that interesting or good looking; he had been considered a monster most of his life after all. She didn't seem to care though. Of course, she didn't know about his past so it was still possible she would run away if she found out.

It wasn't too long before night was closing in on them. Even though days were longer now that they were only one season away from summer, it had still come too quickly. They had spent their day playing games and eating amazing food. Setsuko had tried her hardest to get Gaara involved in the activities, going so far as to force him to play games for her own amusement and forcibly shove food into his mouth. While she and everyone else seemed to get a kick out of it, Gaara had given them all death glares; although he secretly enjoyed himself. As they were deciding to unwind with the short arrival of the fireworks, Setsuko let herself hang back so she could be with Wakana and Gaara. The little fireball really did seem taken by him.

"Hey, I hope you enjoyed yourself today." Her voice was close to a whisper as she smiled over at Wakana and pet her once again.

Gaara only assumed she was talking to the tiny fireball and didn't say a word.

Her eyes shifted up to him, "Gaara." He glanced over at her to see big blue eyes shinning up at him. He felt his heart nearly jump out of his chest. "I was talking to you ya know."

"Oh…" he seemed almost at a loss for words. "…Yeah, I…I guess I did."

"I'm glad." She went silent after that, smiling at the small Shibokasai.

He looked away, crossing his arms across his chest like he always did. "We should catch up with the others." She nodded and followed behind him quietly, neither of them ever realizing someone was following them. Slowly a hand reached out and covered Setsuko's mouth, wrapping around her tiny waist and dragging her away from Gaara.

When he finally caught up to his brother and sister, Kankuro was the first one to mention that Setsuko had disappeared. His whole body froze for a split second before whipping around. He was right, she was gone! She was right behind him originally, so where had she gone? There was a tiny, sad little yelp from his shoulder and he mindlessly reached up to pet her comfortably. He would find her and he would make whoever took her pay, dearly.

Setsuko's voice was muffled as a hand curled around her mouth. She tried to scream for Gaara, eyes wide, but it was to no avail. Only muffled squeaks left her throat, indistinguishable by the hand on her mouth. Her body was forced against another as she was dragged away from the crowd. The arm around her waist disappeared as she was thrust up against a fence, hand still covering her mouth. Blue eyes looked upon blue eyes, only making hers widen more before shutting. That feeling again! Things had been going so well and then he had to show up, in the creepiest way possible no less!

"What are you doing with Gaara?!" his voice was stern and almost angry at her. "Are you planning on taking advantage of him too?" There was protection laced with his anger, she could hear it well. He cared about Gaara. They must be friends.

Setsuko shook her head, unable to speak with his hand covering her mouth.

"Don't lie to me." He was serious. A deadly kind of serious that she had only seen come from Gaara. He removed his hand from her mouth slowly, as if she would scream the moment it were down.

"I would never hurt him!" She refused to look up at him, but she shouted like she had anyways.

"Look me in the eye and say that."

"No…I…I can't…"

"Then you're lying to me."

"No!"

"I swear, if you hurt Gaara…"

"I said I would never do that!" She finally looked up at him, her left eye glowing. Naruto was startled, but he was getting answers. After having left her hotel, he found himself thrust into his mind, Kyuubi telling him to stay away from her. Telling him she was dangerous. Telling him that she only used people for her own gain; that everyone close to her was in danger.

He was quite for a minute, studying her eye. "Your eye…"

Quickly she covered the eye in question. "Please, don't tell Gaara. I don't know what's happening to me and I don't want him to worry."

He was confused. Gaara, worry? He didn't know it were possible for him to do such a thing. Naruto reached up and gently pulled her hands away from her eye, staring deep into them as if reaching into her soul.

* * *

"Kyuubi," a melodious voice cooed in amusement seeing the beast locked inside a cage.

A clawed paw shot out at them, unable to quite reach. "What are you doing here?" his deep voice growled angrily at the intruder. His red eyes lay upon Setsuko, one eye glowing and a smirk to match the amusement in her voice. She was different though. She was deadly, calculating and mysterious.

"I can't believe you bend to the will of humans." Her voice was a drastic change from that of her normal pitch. Deeper, calming, alluring.

He growled again. "And what does that make you?"

Her gaze narrowed at his words, her left eye glowing bright in the darkness he was subjected to. "I chose my path. In doing so I allow myself to be free whenever I so choose. But you, you're caged like a dog. How pathetic you've gotten."

There was a rattle from the bars as he once again tried to run a claw through her tiny body. She never once flinched.

"Are you still mad?" she asked, a snort coming from her throat. Her amusement turned to darkness so suddenly. "Don't get involved. Stay away from Setsuko and stop feeding this kid your anger towards me. I know he's not like that." A single glowing snowflake was left in her wake as she left him.

* * *

Both teens blinked, almost gasping like they had been holding their breath. Blue eyes looked to blue eyes, unsure of what was going on. Naruto seemed to lean in closer, a blush on his cheeks. He had no idea what was going on, but a pretty girl was standing in front of him. Something tugged at him, told him to get closer; to touch her. Her glassy eyes stared back at him, never once straying from his. She could feel that churn in her stomach again. It wasn't painful this time, but it was hot. It flooded her face, turning her red and feeling it reach between her thighs. It was pure lust, that's all it was. She didn't know what was compelling her, but it was a strong force.

Sand slipped between the two and flung Naruto back against the opposite fence. Looking up, Setsuko was surprised to see Gaara standing on top of the fence she was leaning against. He didn't seem happy at all. Was he ever happy? Gaara jumped down, landing with barely a sound, and glared at Naruto. After Kankuro had said that Setsuko was no longer following him, he had almost panicked. Almost. He hadn't even noticed her disappearance until his brother had pointed it out. She made him unable to focus, to keep tabs on the world around him. But he had been worried.

"What's going on?" His words were direct, all he wanted was answers. He wanted to know if they were about to kiss like it had looked.

"Gaara?" Naruto groaned a little and got up. "What are you doing here?"

Setsuko looked at Gaara; his profile looked ready to kill. But who? "Naruto. Answer me."

She stepped in front of him, placing her gentle hands against his chest. Looking at him completely, she could swear she saw jealousy in his eyes. "Gaara, stop."

He looked as if he didn't see or hear her, staring his best friend down as the poor guy gained his bearing from the surprise assault.

She placed her icy hands against his skin, or what she thought was his skin. It was rough and grainy, like sand. Perhaps it was sand armor? Making him look at her, she forced him to take his attention away from Naruto. "Gaara…" her voice was calm, soothing. "There is nothing going on. I met Naruto a few days ago, I wasn't exactly the nicest I've ever been and he wanted to know why." Her calming voice paused, her eyes focused only on him and his eyes of green. "Relax."

"Exactly what she said! There was nothing going on, I just wanted some answers after seeing her in her hotel room." Naruto was anything but tactful. Gaara looked at her with a question glare.

Naruto had been in her hotel room? What were they not telling him?

"There's nothing to tell." It was as if she had read his mind. "We just talked." Her touch dropped from his face and he was more than a little disappointed by it. "Naruto's an idiot and that's all there is to it."

"Hey!" He shouted from behind them.

The sound of fireworks brought all three of their attentions to the sky. Night had fallen and all the lights now lit the streets. The paper lanterns glowed with a fiery brilliance Setsuko had never seen before. Her eyes were stuck on them until more loud pops from the sky were heard. Glassy blue eyes lit up with childlike wonder and she grabbed at Gaara's wrist, dragging him away from the deserted alley they had been in and towards the crowd of people. Fireworks boomed behind them, showing off her foreign beauty. Gaara felt his breath hitch but a moment as he stared at her radiance like she was a flower thriving in the desert. His eyes wandered to the flower in her hair; a flower indeed. She smiled big at him, giggling as she did so, as if what had happened just seconds ago had never happened


	23. Fire and Ice

**A/N: So finally the dreaded 23. I know I said I wouldn't post it until this weekend, but I think I fixed it enough to be posted. At least, I hope I did. I mean, I fixed the grammatical mistakes I found, rewrote an ENTIRE conversation and added a few things here and there. I really do hope it's good enough. I think personally think it works far better than it did before. ****So, enjoy!**

* * *

Setsuko and Gaara left Naruto to be with his own friends on the first night of the festival. Gaara didn't have much of a choice anyways as Setsuko dragged him away from the blonde Jinchuriki and half way through the village. He didn't know where they were going and he suspected neither did she. Sea green eyes watched her back as she dragged him by his wrist, noting the small smile that graced her pink painted lips. He wondered just what she was up to by dragging him all through the village. He once again heard the monstrous roar of the fireworks in the sky. For a moment, he looked away from Setsuko and towards their illuminating colors. Against his irises, the gold lights in the sky made his eyes sparkle like no one had ever seen, or ever will see.

His eyes traveled back to the blonde in front of him. The rainbow of colors bounced off her pale skin seeming to give her an angelic glow. He wasn't sure what it was, or how it was possible, but every time he saw her in different lights she seemed to change. None of it was for the worst either. They suddenly stopped and he wondered why. Looking around, he found himself near a castle with a red tiled roof and two gold shibi in the shape of sachi. He remembered this place. This was where he killed that sound ninja during the chuunin exams three years ago. Why had she brought him here of all places?

"Let's get on the roof," she said, answering his silent question.

He nodded, wrapping his arms around her with such care that she immediately blushed at the contact. It was possible that he forgot that she was fully capable of doing such acrobatic feats on her own given that she had been sneaking out to go on missions.

After he set her down, he took the spot next to her. Barely watching the sky explode with lights, he watched the colors dance off her skin as she stared up at them. She was a beauty he had never seen before. She tucked in her legs and looked up at the sky with a dreamy look upon her face. His hand reached up to his chest, gripping at his clothes tightly. There was a stirring of some kind in his chest, a beating from his heart he wasn't used to. Looking at her, sitting there, awestruck by the lights and remembering their time together so far made him feel funny. It was a feeling he couldn't describe; or rather, he didn't know how to describe it.

As Setsuko looked over, Gaara quickly turned away bringing his knees up and resting his arms on them. He looked grumpy again. It looked to her as if he were trying to hide something. She wouldn't press the issue but it unnerved her at how many things he refused to talk about. Who was she to talk? Something weird was going on with her and she didn't want anyone to know about it either; not even she knew what was going on! Turning her attention back to the lights, she found herself back in her childlike reverie.

"Gaara." Her voice was gentle, like a snowfall, as she said his name. It sent a shiver up his spine. Yes, there was a difference.

He didn't say anything as his eyes shifted to look at her.

Her fingers twiddled together nervously, hesitating in her words. He let his eyes wander back up to the sky as she seemed to shift nervously in her spot. She couldn't seem to remember the words she had wanted to say. "Never mind."

"What's it like?" His voice broke their uncomfortable silence.

Curiously she looked over at him. "What do you mean?"

His head dropped some as he stared at the red tiles beneath them. How could he ask her what was really on his mind? The subject was too embarrassing. "What's it like living in Aisugakure?"

"I…" She trailed off, caught by her own breath. It was such a strange question to ask. It seemed, forced somehow.

"I'm curious since we're from completely opposite temperatures." He looked up at her briefly before turning away again. It was very possible that forcing a question like this was making things far more awkward then if he had just asked his original question.

"Oh…" her voice trailed off as if disappointed in his question. The setting couldn't get more perfect than this to make a move and yet here they were, sitting together on a roof, under a shower of fireworks making a forced, awkward conversation. She turned her eyes to the light show, not quite sure how to answer.

He was silent, but followed her gaze to the sky.

"It's like…" she paused. "Well, it's just what you might think its like actually." Honestly, she didn't even really know how to begin to describe her homeland.

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, thinking about what she could mean. What did even think it was like there?

"It's always cold no matter the season; an icy, bone chilling, death gripping cold. The sun is never out, always blocked by storm clouds. Sometimes we're lucky and don't get snow, just rain. But it's so unimaginably cold that the rain turns to hail rather quickly." Using her arms as leverage, she leaned back a little to relax and get a better view of the colorful explosions in the sky above.

"Is that why you're so cold?" The question slipped out before his brain had any chance to register how offensive it might have sounded.

"Excuse me?" She didn't seem offended, but she had definitely been caught off guard by the question.

He quickly turned to her with a look of mild panic. Everything he had known about women came from Kankuro and most of what he had been told was that women get offended easily. "…I didn't mean it like that." He was smooth enough not to let the anxiety he felt be found in his words.

She continued to stare at him without a word, which probably only made the feeling worse. He was startled when she giggled. "I'm pretty sure I know what you meant Gaara." Her eyes wandered back up to the sky; there was a lull in the fireworks show. "It's the same reason you're so hot." She blushed at her own choice of words. "You live under the beating sun all day, everyday. I live under the icy clouds all day, everyday."

"I see…" Had he heard her right? It was probably just his mind playing tricks on him, but did she call him hot? What? She meant temperature wise of course! Why was his brain playing tricks on him?

Unbeknownst to him, her mind was racing. She was trying to work up the courage to be bold; to do something drastic. Setsuko didn't know why she was having so much trouble with it though; she had done such things before. He wasn't looking, this was her chance.

He felt a body close to his and took a glance. When had she gotten so close?! "Setsuko…" his voice breathed her name and he thought he saw her shudder.

She looked down, biting into her bottom lip tenderly; the way he said her name. He felt his body twitch at the action he knew was unintentional. Casting her eyes back up into his, she slowly, hesitantly, stretched out her hand. It stopped mid air. "Please, drop the armor."

Wordlessly he complied. The release of chakra sent the sand melting off his body and pooling around them. It was so sudden when he felt the icy sting against his cheek, not having expected it. The feel of her velvet like skin against his rough skin caused him to stiffen a bit, almost in embarrassment. Why would she touch something so disgusting?

"Gaara." When her spearmint scented breath hit his skin, he felt it prickle with excitement. He had never felt like this before and he didn't know how to handle it. Setsuko's heart was racing as she grew closer and closer to the Kazekage. Every timid step she took was planned and cautious; she didn't know how he would react.

Even though he was taller than her by inches, he found himself feeling small compared to her. She found her way between his legs, placing her other hand against his face gingerly. Her touch was so delicate, like if she wasn't gentle he would break. The only thing he could see now was her glittering, bright blue eyes and honestly, they were the only things he wanted to see. He felt his heart slam against his chest, drowning out the sound of the booming fireworks, that had started once again, and the people below them. What was happening right now? Why was she getting so close to him? How could she enjoy looking, let alone touching, something so hideous? He gently tore his face from her hands, trying to hide this shame he felt.

Gently she placed her hands against his face once again, causing him to look at her and Setsuko stared down into his sea of green. The dark bags around his eyes from years of insomnia only seemed to bring out their color even more. His eyes; she could get lost in them for years. Her thumbs played gingerly over his cheek bones, his skin a slight bit rougher then her own but it didn't bother her one bit. Pressing her body lightly against his, she felt him stiffen. Was it from fear or from anxiety? With the noise of the festival dying in her mind, she knew that this was what she was all she needed. This was what all her confusion had been leading her towards. She was able to answer her own questions now. Leaning in closer, her lips ghosted over his and she felt his body shudder against her. They were mere inches, no centimeters apart, if not closer when she heard a terrible screeching in her mind.

Quickly she pulled away, turning away from him and hiding her face from his view. Gaara looked at her questionably. Had he repulsed her? Was his inexperience laughable? He didn't understand when she pulled away so suddenly. A hand covered Setsuko's face while the other prevented him from looking at her. Through her fingers, if one were able to see, her left eye was glowing far brighter than it had before but was unnoticeable under the light of the fireworks. Her shoulders rose and fell slowly as she took in deep trembling breaths from the pain. Why now? Why had it flared now of all times? She was finally starting to truly move on, to explore her feelings for Gaara!

"Setsuko?" His words held confusion and what seemed like hurt. Had she hurt him somehow?

She never bothered to look at him, her eye still glowing. "I'm fine Gaara, just a headache. I've been a little stressed lately with meeting Lady Hokage." It was a lie and she doubted he would believe her.

He didn't reply which told her he wouldn't press it any further.

When the strange glow had finally ceased, she blinked a few times and turned back to look at him. "Let's go join the others. I'm sure they're wondering where we are." She stood up, smiling down at him. So much for that.

He felt his gut wrench and his impassiveness replaced whatever emotion he had let spread across his features as they were just about to kiss. He nodded, wrapping his arms around her and jumped down from the castle. His grip was no longer gentle.

The two of them walked together in awkward silence, neither of them willing to speak about what happened on the roof of the castle. As the silence around them grew thicker, so did the invisible distance between them. It was as if they had been thrust back to square one. They were so close to being, well close! It was no use though; there must have been something that didn't want them to be near each other. They had both let their expectation soar and both were highly disappointed. Teenagers were like that though. They were a raging storm of emotions that they didn't understand.

They met up with the rest of their friends when Kankuro raised a brow at them. "What happened to you guys?"

Neither of them looked comfortable around the other, or in talking about whatever had happened between them. Wakana cooed happily and jetted over to them, swirling around them both before settling herself on Gaara's shoulder. "Nothing." Gaara was the one who had spoken up, earning a quick glance from Setsuko. That's right, nothing had happened between them.

For a moment she looked away sadly, the gesture being noted by everyone else but Gaara. "Well, let's all play some games before we call it a night, yeah? I'm there's something we haven't played yet." Temari's voice was loud on purpose to try and break the tension growing between the two rulers.

Before either of them could answer, Temari grabbed at Setsuko's arm and dragged her off in some direction with the girl protesting. The boys followed suit in relative silence, Kankuro eyeing his brother the entire time.

For most of the night they all played the menial games that were found spread through the village. It helped Setsuko take her mind off what had happened on the rooftop and she was able to smile and laugh with the rest of them. Of course she hadn't forgotten, but it was like she could for the moment. Gaara on the other hand was his usual grumpy, quiet self, choosing not to be apart of their fun. However, from the corner of his eye, he watched her smile, and laugh, and talk to everyone that they hung out with that night like they were all friends. It was so easy for her to talk to people, something he could never really do. Even now it was hard for him. Having never been close to people before, he was still just barely learning how.

As it got later, the stands and shops were closing and people were beginning their treks home. Shikamaru was standing off to the side with Temari, both having the faintest of blushes on their faces as they talked. Choji was standing around eating while waiting for Shikamaru so they could walk home together. Kankuro and Gaara decided to stay overnight seeing as it was a little too late for them to be making their way home now. Kankuro had already left, tired and about ready to pass out. Setsuko stood by Gaara, waiting for his older sister. Her fingers played at the hem of her yukata as she tried to prevent herself from looking at Gaara.

Temari's voice caused a quick jerk in both of them. "You ready to go?" Her eyes shifted between them, the three of them now being alone. They looked so, out of place.

"Uhm, yeah." Setsuko nodded and let her eyes glance to Gaara who looked like he always did. "Temari, go on ahead. I'll catch up in a second." Her voice was soft, almost embarrassed.

Temari nodded, taking a quick look at her baby brother and wondering what happened. "Okay, but hurry up. I'm exhausted."

"Of course." Blue eyes watched as Temari's back turned to them, making her way back to their hotel. She turned to Gaara, surprised that he was staring at her. "Gaara…" she bit into her cheek nervously. "I'm sorry about tonight."

Quietly he stared at her, that stoic expression he was famous for never budging. There was nothing to be sorry about. It was obvious that she didn't have feelings for him; who would? "Don't be." They were both hurting inside, although neither would ever know it.

She nodded, feeling a little better. If he said there was nothing to be sorry for, then she wouldn't be. He turned his back on her, making his way to the temporary housing he had been provided by the Hokage. "Goodnight…" her voice trailed off as she too turned away to follow after Temari.

Setsuko silently walked into her room, shutting the door before Temari could even try and talk to her. She didn't want to talk about anything right now, she just wanted to sleep and forget the whole thing ever happened. Getting into her pajamas, she slipped under the blankets and sunk into bed. It was almost immediate when she fell asleep, apparently far more tired than she realized. Her eyes shut and she drifted off into sleep. All through the night, her mind was plagued with nightmares. She didn't know why she was having them, but they continued even after trying to wake herself up. Images of bodies, blood, fires, snow; the sound of laughter and screeching, all of it bombarded her dreams. Her eyes flashed open with a start.

Focusing on the world around her, she was startled to see a pair of blue eyes staring back at her. Blinking a few times, she immediately recognized who it was. Dressed in a head to toe, black cat suit and two daggers; it was the woman that had attacked Gaara her first night in Suna! She watched as the eyes narrowed at her and it was then that she felt the razor sharp edge of one of her daggers against her throat.

"Don't worry Princess, I'm not going to kill you. Yet." Her words were laced with sarcasm and deadly intent. "Saying Gaara's name like that too. You must have it bad."

Setsuko felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of her neck. The woman straddled her hips, one hand holding the blade to her throat, the other used to balance herself over Setsuko. "If you're not here to kill me, then what do you want?"

She heard the woman scoff. "Just here to offer a little advice. Return home and no one else has to die."

"Are you the one that killed Maki?!" Her words made her think that she had something to do with his death. If that were the case, she would make her pay.

The woman shook her head a little. "That kill doesn't belong to me, but it was such a surprise to see. I didn't think she had it in her."

Setsuko's nostrils flared in aggravation, breathing heavily through her mouth but never speaking a word.

"What happened to that pretty little necklace you used to treasure so much?" She pulled her other dagger free and used the tip of the blade to cut into her shirt just enough to expose the tank top underneath.

She clenched her jaw. How had she known about that necklace? Just how long had they been watching her? "How is that any of your business?"

The blade clicked against its sheath and she shrugged. "With the way you treasured it so, I'm surprised is all. Giving away precious items such as your mother's necklace."

"Don't!" Setsuko felt the blade press tighter against her skin as she tried to get up. "Don't talk about my mother." She fell back against the bed, unable to make a move. She was in too much of a compromising position to really do anything.

The woman laughed at her sudden anger, like she was trying to threaten her. "What are you going to do to me Princess?" She paused as the blue of her blade became jagged with ice formations. "Freeze me to death? I'm not as dumb as the rest, like those three you fought in the woods a while back. What a bunch of morons."

"How do you know so much about me?" Setsuko's eyes narrowed into a glare, an unsure, questioning glare.

"I wouldn't be very good at killing my prey if I weren't good at stalking it." The ice broke away and slowly the woman shifted to get off the Princess, never letting her blade budge though. As she stood beside the bed, she let the blade trace along Setsuko's jaw before swiping it across her cheek quickly.

A combination of bone chilling cold and pain caused Setsuko to hiss and cringe away from the woman. She felt blood slide down her cheek and gently she touched the wound, inspecting the crimson that stained her pale fingers. Looking back up to her intruder, she watched as a smirk formed under her mask and she walked backwards to the open window she had most likely come through.

The woman turned, climbing onto the sill and holding onto the frame of the window. "Ya know," she turned slightly to look back at the Princess. "I advise you to stay away from the Kazekage. You'll only hurt him."

"What are you talking about?" She was good at stalking if she knew how close she had grown to Gaara.

"The closer you get…the closer I get as well." With her cryptic reply, she vanished. Setsuko scrambled out of her bed and ran to the window, looking out to see if she could see the woman. Nothing.


	24. What Shinobi Stand For

**A/N: Inner turmoil! I'm really liking these chapters, does that make me some kind of sadist or something?**

**Sooooo, my writing drive seems to be feigning. Not seriously, I'm still writing the story! Just, ever since I thought of a new story my brain has been all about that. So once that leaves my brain space, things will pick up again. But, until then they might slow down a bit. I'm doing my best but I don't want to force anything because then it just won't be any good.  
**

**Enjoy!**

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The next morning Setsuko opened her eyes groggily, feeling her eyes strain to adjust to the light. With a soft groan, she pushed herself up into a sitting position, looking around. How had she gotten on the floor? With a deep inhale, she ran her hands over her face a few times to try and wake herself up, feeling a sharp pain. Touching the spot gently, she winced and pulled her hand away. Taking a moment to allow the pain to lessen, she touched the spot on her cheek again. Running her fingertips over the wound, she felt the crystallization of blood and dried smears just below it. Getting up gracefully, she walked to her bathroom and looked at her face in the mirror. When she finally saw the wound and cut in her shirt, she gasped as the memories of the night before came rushing back to her as if she had been punched square in the face.

Washing away the dried blood, Setsuko threw off the over sized shirt that covered her tank top. She was already going to get questions from Temari when she saw her face; she didn't need anymore unwanted attention. _The closer you get…The closer I get as well._ The words echoed in her ears like drums playing in the night. Her body stiffened as she was about to leave her room. If she got any closer then they might be hurt; he might be hurt. She remembered telling Naruto that she would never do anything to hurt him. What was she to do? Should she return home, a most certain death sentence, or remain in Suna's protective custody until things had cleared up, causing the death of thousands of innocent people?

Her confused eyes looked down, her hand barely at the knob to the door; it was trembling. Was she scared? Was she nervous? She wanted nothing more than to know the answer, but she knew that no one had the answers but herself. It was something she would have to figure out on her own. She had to keep her distance from them, all of them. There was no way she would allow them to be hurt because of her! Her hand gripped the knob and she walked out, greeted by Temari stuffing her face in the kitchen.

"You're up kinda early huh?" she said through bites.

Setsuko didn't say a word as she sat down at the island and placed her chin in her hands. There was a far off look in her eyes, like she was thinking about something, but Temari wasn't sure.

"Hey." She waved a hand in front of her face. "You alright in there?"

Setsuko blinked and looked over at her. There was something definitely bothering her. "Do you mind if I spend some time alone today?"

She was a little surprised by the question. Setsuko wasn't the loner type; she liked the company of people, it seemed to always make her happiest. "Mmm, well Gaara said that we need to head home today. That our vacation is over but…since he already went on ahead of us, I guess it couldn't hurt." It was then that she finally noticed the cut on Setsuko's face. She nearly choked on her food. "Setsuko! What happened to your face?"

"Oh…" she brought her fingers to the cut; it was still tender. "I guess I fell out of bed last night and hit the night table."

Her voice was unusually calm and quiet when she was normally happy and loud. "Hm, alright."

"Don't worry, I'll try and be quick." Setsuko dismissed herself from the kitchen without even bothering to eat anything and walked back into her room.

Hearing the click of the door closing, Setsuko pushed off it and began getting ready for her day. Gaara had already left the village and soon, she and Temari would be leaving as well. She had made up negotiations with the Hokage about their alliance to her final liking and everything was in place. Well, not everything. As she stood in the shower, her hand touched her cheek as if causing the night to replay in her mind on repeat. The pain she felt was more centered on her chest than her face. She worried for Gaara and herself; that woman was dangerous. Getting out of the shower she didn't bother grabbing a towel, walking through the tiled bathroom naked.

Reaching the fogged over mirror she wiped away the condensation to look at her reflection. Her normally vibrant eyes were clouded over in thought, watching every drop of water that rolled off her ivory skin as if they were the only things that mattered. Down each contour of her hourglass shape, falling from her chest that looked too large for her small body and dripping from the ends of her hair onto the floor; she watched them all. Her hands touched the counter as if to brace herself, she felt so lost right now. She had promised she would never hurt Gaara but how could she keep a promise like that when her very presence put him in danger?

Her clothes were simple and light; practical. She left her hair down, not caring that it flowed endlessly down her back. In fact, she didn't care about much today. Wordlessly she left Temari behind, still lost in her haze of thoughts, wondering just what she was left with. If she stayed with Gaara, it was possible that he, and the rest of his people would die and it would be her fault. However, if she left, if she did as the assassin wanted, she would be the only one to die; the only one hurt. She could spare Gaara anymore pain from her hell storm of how to express her feelings for him. Her feet stopped, looking up from her whirlwind of thoughts at the castle to her right. A hand came to her chest as the memories from last night flooded her mind. Her heart beat wildly against her chest, filling her ears with nothing but the noise of her own pulse. There lips had been so close; her fingers smoothed over her lips. She desperately wanted to feel the sting of him against her. No! She could never allow that to happen. If she did…

Turning away from the castle, her feet continued to walk in an unknown direction to her. It didn't really matter, Setsuko wasn't all at home anyways. Her person seemed to have drifted off to a far off place to try and get some answers. She needed to know what to do! The smirk that woman had given her from under that mask, it spoke volumes. She was someone who enjoyed the pain of others; she enjoyed watching them squirm before snuffing them out. Wasn't that how most assassins were? And the way she spoke about personal things like her mother's necklace. Her hand went up to the cameo necklace that now sat in its place. This woman, this assassin, was very good. She made sure to know her targets that way she could play with her food; if Setsuko was to use the same play on words she had.

Her blue irises watched the dirt road beneath her feet, never looking up. People naturally avoided bumping into her, but she never saw or heard them. The only things on her mind were the choices she had to make and how they would impact the people involved. Most would think that a Princess wouldn't care, that she only cared about herself and her title. Setsuko was not like that, never had been. She had always been grounded and tried her hardest to connect to people even when she wasn't allowed. She wanted, no needed, to not feel so alone. All her life, all she had wanted was someone to love and love her back; she had finally found that in Maki. It was almost too perfect, which must have been why it was ripped away from her. Now, now she was finding that in Gaara; well most of that. She wasn't trying to replace Maki, or psychotically fill some strange void in her heart, she was merely lonely. She had been an orphan, an outcast, all her life; she didn't want to be that anymore.

Her eyes flickered up from the ground finally. She found herself standing before a large stone, looking to be made of some kind of granite. It looked to be in the shape similar to a kunai, with many, many names engraved on it. Reaching out, her hand ran smoothly over the engravings, reading each letter with her fingers. Her eyes softened a bit, empathy and pain welling up in them. The tears wanted to fall but she refused them. Withdrawing, she wiped her eyes and let her arms drop to her sides limply. She read every single name etched into the rock, feeling as if a semblance of who they were appeared before her. Back home, they didn't have a memorial like this. They honored those that passed, but not in such a way; maybe things should start changing.

"Oh…I didn't expect anyone to be here." The voice startled her, her body visibly jumping a little before turning around to see its owner. He was a tall man, taller than Gaara and most definitely taller than her. His hair was white and all seemed to be brushed to the side. He seemed to wear a common attire for many ninja here in the Leaf Village; a dark green flack jacket, black pants and matching shirt, armor plated, fingerless gloves, his village headband around his forehead but pulled down over his left eye and a face mask which covered all of the lower half of his face.

She looked away from him as he walked up beside her. "I didn't except to either."

His exposed eye glanced down at her a bored curiosity forming from her words. "Lost in thought perhaps?" he shoved his hands lazily into his pockets, tilting his head back to look up at the clouds.

"This is…this is a memorial for your dead correct?" She completely ignored his question, or possibly hadn't even heard it as she asked her own.

Again his eye shifted back to her. "This is where the ones who are never found are put to rest." She could hear the detachment in his voice as if he were trying to forget a painful memory. "It's for the shinobi who died as heroes."

He watched as her amazing posture faltered, her shoulders slumping a bit. _The closer you get…The closer I get as well. _Her words echoed loudly, taunting her. "Heroes. How could they be heroes when they're dead? Their deaths mean nothing in the eyes of their people when they cannot be commended for their heroics." Her hands clenched into fists, she needed to make the right choice. She was still lost on which choice that was though.

He sighed, wondering just how this girl had become so depressed. "Their heroism is never forgotten because they live on through the people they saved. Do you know why shinobi sacrifice themselves so readily, other than the fact it's our job?" He paused, turning his gaze to the memorial stone. "It's because they want to protect their home, the people they love, the things they love. We shinobi jump in the way of danger so that no one we care about has to. We're their shield. We do what we do so we can protect the bonds we've created."

Setsuko looked up at him, her eyes widened a little and her lips parted, gasping lightly in amazement. Looking away from him and back towards the monument, she smiled sadly as she walked closer to it. "I guess…I never thought of it that way." Stopping, she dropped to her knees while weaving a hand sign.

He watched with hidden curiosity as her arms moved in such a way that he only knew to be the creation of a jutsu.

"Ya know, I've been wrestling with a very big choice lately. One that will change my life forever and I was having such a hard time figuring out what to do because either way, people are going to be hurt." She paused as her hands hovered over a spot in front of the monument. "I don't want people to be hurt because of me, but my life has changed so drastically lately that I think I can make decisions like this with a clearer head."

Intently he listened to her speak while also watching what she was doing. His eye grew wide for a fraction of a second when he noticed the ice made flower laying on the stone.

Looking up from the icy creation she just made, her eyes seemed to have lost their clouded over look. "I know I can protect my people and my friends." She stood, her hands once again balling into fists and a look of pure determination on her face. "I'm not just a Princess. I'm a ninja."

"Princess…?" his words were lost as she turned to him and bowed graciously.

"I thank you for this talk, it has truly opened my eyes." She smiled up at him and began walking away from him with pure drive in her steps.

He couldn't help but smile and wave goodbye to her. In some ways, she reminded him of Naruto; they had the same look in their eyes.

My decision is made. I know what I must do.


	25. The Devil in the Night

**A/N: Okay, so I'm releasing this early because I'm apparently sick and don't want to stay up just to post this. Also, big warning! This is where I change the rating. It's not super graphic, but definitely not rated Teen.**

**Today I got my first discouraging review. Now I know that criticism of all kinds come with anything you do, especially if you put up on the internet for everyone in the world to see. But really, if you're gonna be in anyway rude, just keep your opinions to yourself. No one wants to hear other people bashing on the things they like, or that makes them happy in some way; not cool man. I'm not gonna stop writing or anything because there are plenty of people that like this story, and I love all your faces, but I'm going to write my story how it wants to be written. There's no need to be like 'I liked it until this happened.' Stuff happens! Deal!**

**That said, there will be no 26 this weekend. Like I said I'm depressingly sick and I have lots going on this weekend. Plus, I somehow deleted Word off my computer so I can't really write anyways. Don't worry! I will return! So enjoy until then!**

* * *

"Hey Setsuko!" Temari waved the young girl over as she jogged up to her. "I've been looking all over for you."

Setsuko raised a brow curiously when the two were finally face to face, "You have?"

"You were taking too long. We gotta hit the road or Gaara will be pissed." She could see on Temari's back were both their bags, presumably full of their stuff. "Don't worry though; I bought us some snacks for the road." She winked at her before roughly throwing Setsuko's bag at her.

There was a gruff exhale of breath as the bag hit her in the gut as she caught it. "Thanks…I guess."

The two women made their way to the gates of the Hidden Leaf Village without any interruptions and in relative silence. Setsuko flung her cloak over her shoulders, clasping it tight and once again slung the hood over her head. She couldn't be too cautious while walking around in the open. With her head on the line, she needed to take the utmost care when she was so lightly guarded. As the two passed through the gates, a springtime breeze blew through the trees, rustling the leaves around them. Setsuko looked up and watched as a single green leaf floated to the ground, as if mesmerized by it. Her entire cloak billowed softly, the hood threatening to fall off. Bangs filtered into her line of sight and she slowly brought up a hand to keep them from obstruction her view. She looked up a little, seeing the sunlight peeking through the many trees, and smiled. She had never seen the sun before, not until she had crossed through the Land of Blizzards borders. It was possible that she didn't want to go back to that gloomy place.

"Hey, quite daydreaming and hurry up!" Temari's voice called out to her from a hill at least twenty feet in front of her.

"Oh, sorry!" Setsuko quickly jogged up the path to Temari's side.

Temari shrugged as they continued walking. "Whatever, I just don't need Gaara breathing down my neck again. Something seems to have him in kind of a foul mood."

"Hmm, could it be you tricked him to come to the festival?"

"Hey! I resent that accusation! What happened between you guys anyways? You two have been acting kind of strange today."

Setsuko sighed softly, her head dipping down to watch her feet against the dirt. Should she tell her the truth? Was it even her place to tell her anything? "Oh nothing, just awkward teenage stuff, ya know."

"I can tell when you're lying ya know." Temari's voice was steady and almost, annoyed. She sighed suddenly, "But, I can't force you to tell me anything being a Princess and all."

Setsuko gave her an obviously fake smile, inwardly terrified the methods she would use to extract information out of her had she not been a Princess.

Again there was silence from the two. The sounds of nature made it bearable and pleasant. Birds were chirping around them, trees were rustling in the wind; everything seemed so content. Yet, there was wavering doubt within her mind. Setsuko watched her feet intently, the hood of her cloak masking her face. Images from the festival flashed in her mind, memories of how happy she had felt just around Gaara in such a light hearted environment. There was no stopping the smile that tugged at the corners of her mouth, catching the eyes of the Kazekage's older sister. The older blonde leaned over with a light hearted grin, softly nudging Setsuko in the side.

"What?" she huffed in between jabs.

"Are you gonna tell me or what?" Temari was all a flutter about the subject in the obvious way she wanted information.

Setsuko crossed her arms across her chest, puffing out her cheeks. "I don't kiss and tell."

Suddenly Temari was dangling on top of her. "Ooooo, so you and my baby brother kissed huh?"

"Wh-what?!" Her face lit up bright red as she sputtered. "That's just….I can't believe…No!"

"You're a terrible liar!" Temari burst out laughing at how uncomfortable Setsuko had become. "But I can't believe you got Gaara to kiss you."

"No! We didn't kiss! I swear!" Setsuko ran after her after she had somehow gotten feet ahead.

What the two didn't notice in their teasing were a pair of eyes watching them from the shadow of the trees above. They loomed overhead like a predator stalking its prey, narrowing. As they moved, it moved. There were wails and laughing coming from below; the eyes stalked, sizing up their targets. Theirs would be an ending most foul. Without a sound they jumped from branch to branch, listening in and waiting for the right moment to strike. The pair of eyes knew their target well, having been briefed before attempting this venture. There wasn't anything of significance to know.

* * *

Their first day of traveling went off without a hitch. Night had begun to fall and they were currently setting up a small area to camp for the night. Temari watched as Setsuko gathered enough firewood to last them the entire night and wondered to herself how a Princess could be so grounded. All the royalty she's ever met have all been snobby, stuck up, self centered jerks! It was refreshing that she wasn't like them, but it still made her wonder. As she strolled back from a small stream with water, she looked at the relaxing Princess. She was resting up against a tree with her legs crossed and her nose in a book, as per usual. There was a soft chuckle from the older woman.

"Setsuko," she began, setting the water aside and finally sitting down for the night. She didn't have to look to feel the blue eyes glance up from their book. "How are you able to do this?" Again, she could feel the look given to her; it was a puzzled one. "I mean, aren't royalty all stuck up?"

The book closed. Setsuko sighed heavily, "Yeah, they are." She paused and for a moment, silently watching as Temari began to build a fire. "But, I hate my job. And that's all it really is, a job. I mean," she paused to snort a laugh, "I don't get paid or anything but I get out of bed just like anyone else. I take orders and have meetings like everyone else. It all kind of sucks really." The fire roared to life and Temari finally turned to look at her. "Besides…" she leaned back against the tree, stretching out her body. "I'm not really a Princess. Just a filler."

Temari looked at her with a confused shock. "What do you mean you're not a Princess?"

"Eh, it's a long boring story I don't want to get into tonight. Gaara knows, maybe he'll tell you sometime." She shrugged and went back to reading her book.

Night fell quietly around them, stars blinking at them in mild happiness to finally be free of the sun. A crescent moon hung high in the sea of stars, hugged by their brilliance only making its own even better. The crackling of the dying fire was the only sound that put the two girls to sleep, embers glowing like a beacon in the darkness that surrounded them. A sweet breeze made the trees serenade the animals into their own slumber, preventing them from hunting or investigating the girls. However, a sickly pair of yellow eyes still burned in the night. They watched each groan, each bodily twitch and each turn over from above. The pair narrowed as a toothy grin was barely seen from the shadows, pearly whites glinting from moonlight.

The eyes jumped down, landing silently just outside their camp. They slinked closer, moving like a snake through water. A rustle here and a rustle there, nothing that seemed to wake them from their slumber though. With expert steps they towered over the sleeping body of the Princess; her body looked delicious under the light of the moon. The cloak that now acted as her blanket from the crisp spring wind fell against every dip, every contour of her frame. Yellow eyes could see the curve of her hips, the length of her legs, the dip in her hourglass shape from lying on her side, and the roundness of her breasts. They licked their lips. There was nothing that said he couldn't have a little fun before slaughtering her.

She groaned lightly and rolled over onto her back. Her long hair framed her body, some lying over her shoulders, the way one leg seemed to stick out awkwardly and her hands up by her shoulders made her look too cute for her own good. He watched as her lips parted, her large chest rising and falling with each silent intake of air. A hand reached out, his hand, gently running his fingertips along her lips; they were soft like cotton. The fingertips slowly, softly, traveled down her jaw, along her neck and began tracing her collar bone. Her skin prickled and he heard her make the tiniest gasps. This only seemed to spur him on. Leaving her skin for but a moment, he found himself at her knees, placing his hands on either one and slowly parting them so not to wake her. There was a stir, but otherwise she didn't make a move.

Slipping between her legs, his hand rubbed her inner thigh, slowly making its way up towards her hips. Her skin was like velvet. The very tips of his fingers brushed her bikini line as they gripped her hips; Setsuko's eyes flashed open. Her head shot up, about to shout when he covered her mouth to muffle the sound. Her blue eyes were wide as he continued to touch her, full of fright and unable to move. Never in her life had she been in a situation like this; how was she supposed to react? It was like her whole body froze, refused to respond to her! She watched in terror as he climbed on top of her, leaning in close, and his erection pressing hard against her. His lips touched her ear, like he was about to whisper something when a large gust of wind threw him off her.

Her body shook as she looked over to see Temari giving the man a death glare while holding her giant fan in attack position, showing that she had been the one to create the wind. She watched stiffly as he got to his feet and smirked at them, wiping drool from the side of his mouth. He was taller than her by almost a foot, shaggy brown hair, menacing yellow eyes and dark tan skin. His body was covered in all sorts of different kinds of knives; different shapes and colors.

"Heh, I wasn't told my target would have such a killer body," he taunted, looking down at Setsuko.

His eyes screamed with lustful hunger as they stared at her. Setsuko couldn't help but sit and stare at the ground, her hands gripping the grass beneath her like if she let go he would try and touch her again.

"Shut your mouth." Temari's words were like poison, biting into the air with such anger she had never heard from anyone before. "How dare you try and take advantage of someone while they're defenseless."

He laughed, giving them both a malicious grin. "You're right. They're better when they fight back."

The man lunged at Temari, who swiped her fan through the air creating another gust of wind. He was thrown back, slamming against a tree. Setsuko shrieked and crawled away to hide behind the tree she had been sleeping under. Temari's already narrowed gaze narrowed even more. To Setsuko, who peered out from behind the tree, she looked as if her eyes had become demonic. The Wind Style user seemed so full of rage; a truly unforgiving rage.

"Who are you anyways?!" Her voice was hoarse from growling so low.

Slowly he got to his feet, using the tree for support. "I'm nobody. Just doing a job."

Teal eyes glanced over to Setsuko and her still wide, terrified eyes. "Finally, I get to take on one of these assassins Gaara warned me about." She smirked as she looked back to her target.

"Hn, I'm only the beginning of the fun…" His words rang in Setsuko's ears like a foreboding future. It was obvious by the way he was grinning wildly at her that he knew something they didn't. "Even if I die here…It won't end with me."

Temari roared at him as she waved her fan once again. With an amused chuckle, he disappeared before being hit, causing the tree behind him to splinter. All around them they could hear his laughter echoing through the trees. Setsuko wrapped her hands around her ears to try and drown out the sound, her whole body unable to stop trembling. He had come so close to doing vile things to her! His greedy touch still haunted her skin causing her to close her eyes, as if that would bring some semblance of peace. Over the blood pumping in her ears, she could still hear his laughing; taunting them. Her throat emitted a tiny whimper as she desperately tried to silence it. The sickening feeling of an unwanted touch made her want to hurl. It made her feel disgusting! How could someone enjoy torturing a person like that?

"Come out you coward!" Temari shouted, finally stopping the laughing that echoed in her ears.

"Coward?" his voice resonated around them. There was a violent rustle of the trees from a powerful gust of wind, calling all around them to be silent. When his voice died away, Setsuko dared to let her hands drop to her sides and look up. Her breath caught when she saw yellow eyes staring at her, deadly level with hers. "No…" he whispered, his look telling her that he had every intention of finishing what he started.

Before she could even let out a yelp, his lips crashed onto hers. The force slammed her against the tree she was hiding behind causing her to whimper against his lips. His tongue slipped happily across her lips at the cute sound she made, forcing it to slip between those sweet minty lips. Out of instinct she pushed against his shoulders, trying to get him away from her and the violation he was enjoying. Her eyes were shut tight, so tight that angry tears brimmed her lids as she continued to try and push him away. Roughly grabbing her right wrist, he forced it above her head while his other gently ran his smooth hands over her skin as a sick taunt to her plight. It was as if he was silently telling her that she was going to be his for the night.

Feeling his hand on her face she forcibly tore her face away from his, trying to pull away from it as much as possible. She felt his tongue flick across the lobe of her ear and she whimpered again. Why wasn't she able to call out to Temari for help? It almost felt like she was too sacred to move; her body and even her mind, frozen. Setsuko never looked as he took her other wrist and pinned it above her head with the other and almost instantly shoved his hand into her shirt. Feeling the sting of his warm skin against her icy body made her shiver, which he seemed to take as a good sign. Another whimper as he pinched her nipple. Biting into her lip, she felt warm plasma trickle down her chin from the force.

"Let her go." Temari's words hissed in his ear as a kunai was held against his throat.

His body froze and risked a glance over his shoulder. Her eyes were the angriest he had ever seen a woman's, pure hate; almost demonic. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of his neck.

"Now!" she roared in his ear. She was in no mood to play any games. As a woman, she found this man's behavior deplorable. Infuriating. She felt the same murderous rage she was sure Gaara used to feel.

The man glanced back at Setsuko who looked like she was trying to lean as far away from him as possible by pressing her back against the tree as much as she could. He looked down when he felt the tip of the kunai poke under his chin.

"Don't look at her. She's not who you have to worry about right now." Her words fell silent as she rammed the kunai into his neck, splattering Setsuko with some of his blood. Another was thrust into his lower back, between the vertebra so even if by some miracle he lived, he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Temari pushed the limp body aside and gently placed a hand on Setsuko's terrified shoulder. The pale blonde stared at the body with wide eyes and shallow breaths, not even noticing the gesture. Minutes passed by before Setsuko's blue eyes looked down at her blood covered hands. They trembled as her mind played the scenario over and over in her head like a horrible movie. She had always held some dignity for herself as she grew up, even growing up as an orphan she always had a little ounce of dignity. Now though that felt like a distance memory. This sick feeling that twisted in her gut made her feel like, like she was no better than the dirt she walked on.

Seeing the look of disgust on her face, Temari looked at her sympathetically. There was nothing she could really do for the girl. The feeling of someone touching her against her will would probably stick with her for a long time, no matter how much she was comforted. Either way, she had to give it a shot. Wrapping her arms around the shaking girl protectively, Temari felt her body tense and quiver nervously. Soon her ears heard the echoing of her sobs as Setsuko's arms wrapped around her tightly, gripping the clothes on her back. It was like a lifeline to her; or that's how it felt from the amount of force behind the grip. It was even sooner when her shoulder was wet with tears. It was clear to Temari that their resting period was over. Gathering the wrecked Princess, she walked her over to their things, grabbed them and they resumed their journey back to Suna.

* * *

**A/N: I would just like to clarify. I wasn't insulted by the review but if you're not gonna read the story, you just don't have to tell me. It's nothing something I need to know. **


	26. Political Disaster Pt1

**A/N: First off, I would like to apologize for the last chapter ranty thing. I'm sick and I get grumpy when I'm sick. I thoroughly apologize for overreacting.**

**Now! I fixed my Word problem and was able to finish 26, yay! It's a good thing most of my friends know about computers otherwise I would just drool all over mine. It's totally different when they know the hardware and you only know coding. Different worlds.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Sir," a harsh feminine voice began, pulling at the reigns of her horse to stop. "I have to say, I think letting Meroko go ahead of us was a risky move." Five other horses came to a stop beside their own, the sounds of their hooves clopping around them.

"I know you're not exactly fond of her," the woman snorted, only confirming his statement, "But she's the best at what she does. You should know that better than most." From behind the sheer curtain of the carriage pulled by two of the horses, she could feel eyes staring at her.

"I think you're just jealous of her," a male voice spoke, considerably younger in pitch then the man behind the curtain. He allowed a playful, toothy grin to spread across his face from the shadow of the hood that covered his face.

A broad sword was drawn, pointing the tip at the young man who sat on the bench of the carriage, steering it. "Watch your mouth boy."

"Enough you two," the man behind the curtain sighed. "I'm having Meroko play in Suna for a few days to see what that bratty Princess does but…I sent Nakomo to do a little of his own playing."

Ten pairs of eyes glanced back at the carriage. "That disgusting maniac Sir? Isn't that a little harsh?" the woman asked as she sheathed her sword.

There was a long silence, all of them feeling uneasy after learning about this particular man they knew. "Are you questioning me?"

"Of course not Sir, I just think using him is a little…cruel." Even though she was under his scrutiny, no one heard her quiver in fear.

Each one wore a hooded cloak as not to reveal their identities to outside parties in case someone knew them. However, three distinct forms were able to be determined merely by action and silhouette. One was Seira, the Wind Style user that had attacked Temari and Setsuko a few weeks ago. Sitting to her right was Tao, the lazy, biker dressed teammate she always fought with. Directly to her left was the big burly man who had never been named. He was the most dangerous out of the three, being a well versed Earth Style user.

Burning eyes casted a glance to the woman who spoke so boldly to their Master. "Just because you're new, doesn't give you the right to speak like that."

Fierce blue eyes narrowed back at her, "I'm not a frightened puppy like you lot are."

"Frightened puppy?! I'll have you kno-" she glared at the covered woman, turning it to her partner when he cut her off.

"Oh shut up Seira!" His bored sigh and yawn said more than enough of her yelling.

"All of you shut your traps!" their Master's voice roared in annoyance. They were all instantly silent. "They should have returned from that damnable Hidden Leaf Village by now. It's time to pay the brat a visit."

* * *

Three days passed before Setsuko and Temari returned to the village and the entire trip was silent. After the events of the first night, Setsuko seemed to have lost herself in her thoughts. Temari didn't push her either; she was sure that if something like that happened to her she would feel the same way, after murdering the man responsible of course. Although, even Temari could note the completely dead look she had held the entire way back home. It seemed more than just lost in thought; it seemed completely detached. She knew she would have to talk to Gaara about what happened but she didn't really want to. Somehow, it felt like she would be betraying Setsuko's confidence if she said anything. Even so, Gaara was their Kazekage and being that he was in charge of her safety some could draw conclusions and end their relations with the Sand Village.

Today of all days seemed to feel the hottest. Not a cloud floated by as the two girls walked under the sun and through the canyon that led to the village. Even for a desert dweller such as herself, Temari could feel beads of sweat start to form on her brow. Placing a hand on her forehead to shield her eyes, she looked up at the clear sky and at the harsh light of the sun. It seemed brighter than usual. Maybe it was a sign of good things to come. She only hoped that were the case. They were greeted by the Jonin that guarded the pass. Temari greeted them all with a pleasant wave.

"Temari…" Setsuko's voice was low, almost a whisper.

Teal eyes glanced down at the girl whose head was hung just as low as her voice. "Yes?"

"I'm going to go straight to the Inn. I need a bath." Her eyes still seemed so detached.

Temari silently nodded her understanding.

The two women separated at the gates, Temari watching Setsuko's back as it got smaller and smaller. With a heavy sigh, she shook her head and made her way to her brother's office. This was not a conversation she wanted to have. She had been stopped a couple of times on her way there, but brushed them off rather quickly. Her matter was urgent and she knew once speaking to her brother, that he would feel the same. Temari made her way into the Kazekage building, walking straight past the clerk who was suddenly on her heels.

"Out of my way," she growled as the young man stood in front of the door.

"I'm…I'm sorry ma'am but I can't do that." His eyes never looked directly into hers, finding the older sibling terrifying. "Lord Kazekage is in a meeting with a visiting dignitary. It's not advised that y-"

"Oh shut up!" Temari pushed her way past him and into the office, "Gaara we have to talk about-" she cut herself off when she saw what was going on.

* * *

Gaara was sitting in his office waiting for news that his sister and Setsuko had returned to the village. It was already half way through the day and he hadn't heard anything, from anyone. He wasn't beginning to worry, he was more annoyed that they were taking so long. Obviously he should have made them leave when he and Kankuro did. Stretching back in his seat, he felt the strain in his shoulders from hunching over to work and heard his knuckles crack from being so tight. Leaning on one elbow, he tapped his pen against his desk as he sighed. Letting his eyes fall onto the document in front of him, he pursed his lips in what could only be described as annoyance. The document in question was about some foreign policy that was being signed by all the Kage. Honestly, he didn't really care about it. Lazily, his eyes looked up and wandered to the windows that surrounded him. If he had to really think about it, he would much rather be outside, under the sun, cultivating his cacti than sitting in his stuffy office reading papers.

Despite what many people may think about the stoic Kazekage, he was as human as the rest of the world. He was also a teenager. He had a short attention span and urge to do things that made him happy; or potentially killed him. It wasn't enjoyable to be cooped up in an office all day reading official documents and having your brain bleeding every day. And unknown to anyone, he occasionally played hooky. It wasn't often enough to be noticed, but he still did it. Every once in a while he needed a break; a well-deserved break. He had spent the last three years getting people to like him enough to realize his dream of becoming Kazekage and that had been tough. Joining the regular ninja had been a chore in itself. Many Jonin had tried to kill him and his teammates because they were simply put on his team. Korobi and Yaoki helped more than they might have known back then. Other than Naruto, they were his first real friends and just like the Jinchuriki, he considered them his best friends.

His daydreaming was interrupted suddenly by the guy that called himself a receptionist, "Lord Kazekage?"

Gaara looked up slowly, "What?"

"There's someone here to see you. He says he's with Princess Setsuko." The young man jerked when he saw the glare that was suddenly directed at him.

"Let them in." Someone who claimed to be with Setsuko? He hadn't heard of anyone coming for a visit from her homeland. Was it possibly another assassin trying to gather information?

The young man nodded and stepped back to let the person in. An older man, who looked to be somewhere in his thirties, walked in with an air of superiority around him; something Gaara hated. His gray eyes stared directly into his green eyes, never once seeming to break contact, like he was assessing a battlefield. The man's posture was similar to Setsuko's, regal, alert, and straight; it was obvious he worked close with royalty of some kind. If he really was 'with' Setsuko though, he doubted it. This man even held his long, slightly graying, brown hair in a loose ponytail at the base of his skull. Gaara wanted to sever his head right at that spot, he didn't like the guy.

"Ah, you must be the Kazekage I've heard so many rumors about," he said as the door behind him closed.

Gaara narrowed his gaze at his words. "What kind of rumors?" He adjusted himself in his seat and sat up straighter.

The man seemed to grow a smirk, "That you were a mass murdering Jinchuriki and survived extraction by some miracle."

He felt his eye twitch angrily. However, he couldn't deny that the man was well informed; somehow. "You must have amazing contacts if you know so much about me."

"It pays to be well informed." Finally the man began to show the slightest bit of respect when he bowed, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Kazeku Banki from Aisugakure, right hand advisor to Princess Setsuko Ayani of Aisugakure."

"Of course, you're the one who asked for our assistance in your political problems." So he was finally meeting the man behind the letters. Gaara's mind briefly flashed back to each of the letters. Even then there seemed to be something dubious going on.

Kazeku straightened, "Well your Lordship, when you put it like that it makes us sound dependent upon you."

"Are you not?"

"Not as much as you might think Sir."

"How do you know what I think?"

"Excuse me, wrong choice of words me'haps. I simply meant that we can handle the problems ourselves, we just chose to kill two birds with one stone. Taking care of the Princess' safety and establishing political bonds."

"So you chose you use your Princess as a patsy for your political ends."

"Oh my no! We all care deeply for Her Majesty. She's the one that rules over us with her kindness and radiance. But she is still young and inexperienced."

Gaara didn't like where this conversation was going; straight to his blood boiling. He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair, "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to see the Princess-" He could see the young Kazekage was becoming uncomfortable under his presence.

"No!" Gaara had cut him off so quickly that he barely had any time to finish his sentence.

Kazeku tilted his head a bit, confusion on his face but at the same time he seemed to be trying to read Gaara. "Lord Kazekage?"

Gaara leaned forward, his arms resting on the wood of his desk and a finger tapping rapidly in an effort to contain his anger, which was failing miserably. "You put her in my care, I can't just let people see her at their leisure. I will let her know you're here and she can meet with you here, in my office."

"Gaara, we have to talk about-" Temari suddenly burst in, both men looking at her silently, but Gaara's look told her now was not a good time. Looking over his frame, she could see his finger tapping at such speed that she knew he was already angry.

There was utter silence in the room as Temari felt it all directed at her. She wasn't the type to feel embarrassed easily, but right now, she did. Her teal eyes flickered over to the older man standing just barely feet away from Gaara's desk, looking over his shoulder at her with a glare that was only reminiscent of having interrupted something important. The look on Gaara's face was even worse than the stranger, but he had twelve years to prefect the look of striking terror into people. All of their attention was torn away from the heaviness of the room when a large explosion echoed throughout the entire village. Gaara jumped out of his seat and Temari raced to the window beside him, another explosion erupted the entire village. The two siblings didn't even need to say anything to each other before both of them were rushing out to protect the villagers and find out what was going on.


	27. Political Disaster Pt2

**A/N: I hate being sick! I have so much free time right now because I can't really do anything. My brain is like 'Let's blow this popsicle stand and DO something!' while my body is like 'HAH! Not a chance.' Bah!**

**So this chapter is super short. I wanted to write more, but I felt that it would be forcing too much if I did. But that's okay because DRAMA!**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Setsuko trudged her way back to the Inn in a haze. She could hear the grains of sand under her feet, the people's boisterous lives around her, sandy winds blow through the streets and smell food at almost every corner, but it was like none of it registered in her mind. When she finally made it to the front doors of the Inn, she hadn't even remembered how she got there. The guards recognized her and let her through without a word. She made her way up to the fourth floor and down the hallway that held Aoi's, Isamu's and her rooms. Standing in front of the door, gripping the knob, she finally seemed to wake up.

Her big blue eyes blinked and she looked around the lonely hallway. Removing her hand from the door, she tried to remember how she had gotten here. Instead of remembering what she wanted to, her mind went to the violation her body felt. The feel of his hands on her sent her body all a quiver with disgust. She needed a shower, and badly! Never again she did want to feel his clammy hands on her body, or the sting of his higher body temperature. Something like that, she personally felt, was only reserved for people she considered special to her. Hui and Maki were people like that; and…Gaara? She did consider him special, but was still a little unsure of how special. Naruto had touched her, but it was too brief for it to bother her as much as she was right now. That man, he had done it against her will; she had never wanted that!

How could she have allowed something like that happen to her? She knew she was at least stronger than that! Yet, she had done nothing but sit there and take it! After leaving Konoha with such confidence in herself she suddenly felt like she had lost it all; like she was right back at square one. What was she to do about her situation now? There was nothing really to do about it. He was dead now, all she had to do was take a nice long, scalding bath to rid herself of his touch and try to forget about it. Besides, she had far more important things to worry about.

"Princess?" a hardened but soft voice spoke beside her.

Setsuko looked up from her angry staring at the floor. "Aoi?" Her eyes flickered over to the ANBU's left, "Isamu? What's wrong?"

Isamu shook his head, "Nothing Ma'am, we just wanted to welcome you back. We're glad you made it here safely."

"Hn." She snorted absentmindedly. Safely huh? Not exactly.

"Did something happen Princess?" Aoi asked, both having heard the noise.

"Hm," she looked up like she didn't even realize what she had done. "Mm…no, no, nothing happened. I'm just going to take a long bath if you two don't mind."

The two ANBU looked at each other suspiciously before looking back to her, "Alright Ma'am, but let us go in first. No one has been in there since you left, we have to make sure it's safe." Isamu gently put his arm in front of her to guide her away from the door as Aoi opened it and stepped in first.

The three of them walked into the room, Isamu and Aoi in front of Setsuko to guard her from anything that may try to attack her. From the front door, everything looked to be in its proper place. The small kitchen was undisturbed and clean, the living room had a single book on the coffee table with light pouring in from the large windows. With utter silence, you could hear a pin drop in the room. To the ANBU though, silence meant danger. Only a few steps were taken to open the bedroom door; Setsuko had remembered leaving it open as she left. Suddenly her heart began to race at the mental realization. Aoi opened the door and their eyes widened in horror as the room ignited in a blinding light. Setsuko's eyes flashed a glowing blue and tiny hexagonal ice shards only had time to form around the vital spots on her body before the room exploded.

* * *

The building erupted into hundreds, no thousands of explosions at once, demolishing the building and throwing the three somewhere in the debris. When Gaara and Temari had arrived on the scene, Kankuro and a team of Jonin were already there helping people and rescuing anyone from debris that was still falling. The entire building was gone, just rubble on the ground. Without thinking, the cork on Gaara's gourd popped off and his sand began lifting up heavy pieces of stucco to rescue his people. Temari was helping the medics set up a trauma center close by for the people that had no time to make it back to the hospital.

Gaara was frantic, though it never showed, as he searched and searched through the rubble for Setsuko. This was the Inn where she was staying and yet there was no sign of her anywhere! They had come across some of her things as they were rescuing people, but never a body. Had she been obliterated in the blasts? No! He couldn't think like that! There was no way a stubborn girl like her, who constantly snuck out to do dangerous things, would die that easily. Somehow, the thought seemed to bring him some kind of comfort. Even in this disaster, the smile tugged at his lips from the thought.

Hours had passed, things were finally calming down. They had a total of ten dead, eight critical and three already sent on their way home. Surprisingly low numbers for an entire building being destroyed and they weren't even counting the two guards and the two ANBU. The sight of Aoi and Isamu made Gaara's gut wrench. He had seen so many mangled bodies in his time, almost all caused by him, but since things were different now, it seemed to bother him much more. And yet, no one had seen Setsuko's body yet. Maybe the blast had blown her out of the disaster radius. They had found remnants of the paper bombs and Temari deduced that to cover to destroy an entire building, there would have had to be too many to count. She still ended up counting, losing said count at around one hundred thousand. It was very possible that her body had been thrown a few feet away from the site.

"Spread out! Find the Princess now!" Gaara barked with authority.

He would find her! There was no doubt in his mind; he just had too! Using his sand as a sensory tool, he sent small waves of it throughout the village in hopes that it would be able to detect her body. He wouldn't let her die! Not only would it be an international disaster but it would be a personal one as well. Through his concentrating, he felt a ping in his heart that made him cringe in pain. Was he this worried about losing her? Just earlier in the day he was mad at her. Why had he been mad again? He tried to think of the reason but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't. The thought of Setsuko dying seemed to be the only thing consuming his thoughts at the moment. But was it really necessary to remember why he was so mad at her? If she died he wouldn't see that annoyed glare she got whenever she looked at him, or the confused one when he said something too forward.

"I found her!" someone shouted suddenly that it snapped Gaara out of his thoughts instantly and he was running over to them.

The Sand Siblings, along with everyone else that followed the voice, were shocked at the bloody, mangled mess her body was in. To everyone's horror, she lay in a muddy puddle created by her own blood mixing with the dry sand. Her once beautiful blonde hair was now stained red and frayed, covering most of her face. Blood was smeared on her paler than usual face, covering everything but her left eye and one small spot on her bottom lip. Her right leg was in such bad shape that the tibia bone was exposed and from her knee to the ball of her foot was drenched in blood. On her forearms seemed to be similar wounds, like she tried to defend herself from the blast. A piece of the metal framing for the building was sticking out of her side, her clothes almost non-existent, but what was left were soaking wet, bloody messes of fabric clinging to her body. It looked like six fingers were broken when she tried to defend herself and she had multiple open gashes from flying debris; there was almost no part of her body not covered in blood.

Temari was nearly brought to tears by what she saw, having never seen someone she personal knew so badly hurt. Was she even alive? Many others had to run away so they could hurl; Kankuro was barely able to stomach the sight himself. Gaara stepped forward in silent shock. He was afraid to touch her in fear that she might be dead. With a deep breath, he bent down and gently placed two fingers against her bloody neck. There was a long pause of held breath from those that surrounded them. His eyes snapped open so suddenly that everyone jumped. She was alive! It was faint and he had to be fast, but she was alive! Without wasting time, he scooped up the mangled girl in his arms and disappeared in a flurry of sand. Temari and Kankuro were soon running for the hospital after watching their little brother leave.


	28. Light in the Darkness

**A/N: More inner turmoil! But, this one is for a better reason then just hormones. Again, I think I'm a sadist or something because I really like how this came out.**

**So, I have a new story in the works but it's going to be different then my usual fluffy crap. It's going to be my first time doing truly dark stuff and I already have the first chapter done. I kinda wanna post it just to see how people respond to it, but I'm torn because I want to finish this story and _Wretched Soul_ before I work on other stuff. So even if I do end up posting it, it probably wont get anymore chapters until then. I dunno, what do you guys think? **

**Also, enjoy!**

* * *

"Alright, I'm finished for today. I'll be back next week to check up on her okay?" Gaara watched the pink haired medic-nin wipe her brow as she emerged from the hospital room that had been dubbed off limits.

He nodded courtly, "Yes, thank you Sakura."

She smiled at him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, while mentally wondering if this display was appropriate. "Don't worry, she made it." She paused and looked down at his hands which had been gripping at his sleeves tightly the entire time she had been there. "The hard part is just starting. Once she wakes up she's going to need a lot of physical therapy to be able to walk on that leg properly again." A flash to the Chuunin exams and Lee's injuries made her pause again.

He gently grabbed her wrist, pulling it off his shoulder. "I understand." He moved around her with such grace that Sakura was actually surprised. "I will see you next week." The door closed and he disappeared into the room.

Gaara stood by the door, just out of view of the tiny square window that was on the door. His green eyes stared at the girl unconscious in the sterile hospital bed, Wakana lying next to her. The whole room was white; why were they always white? Was it thought to be a clean color? On the small bedside table, there was a vase of blooming lilies, possibly from Temari; still everything was white. He knew Kankuro had stopped by only because his older brother had told him to go see her. He hadn't had the courage to visit, especially after Temari told him what happened to them on their way back to Suna. This was his first actual visit to the hospital since she had been admitted. He didn't really like hospitals.

It had been over a month since Setsuko had been admitted into the hospital after the explosion that decimated the Inn. It had taken three days after her admittance before Sakura arrived to provide medical support. They were lucky enough to have been able to barely keep her alive during that time; in fact he had been told that before Sakura had arrived to take over, she had died four times. But by some miracle, none of her vital organ had been damaged; all the severity was caused by massive physical trauma and blood loss. His hands balled into fists angrily. There was no trace left of anything at the site so there was no way to track whoever had done this. Angry eyes fell upon the now clean Princess. The image of her bloody and burned body flashed through his mind and he had to look away briefly. For some reason just thinking about it seemed to cause him to choke. Slowly he walked over to the bed, each step hesitating as he got closer.

Finally he stopped beside the bed, his arms falling to his sides, too heavy for him to keep them crossed anymore. Wakana brought her small head up, flaming ears perked as she looked up at her 'father'. Looking down at her motionless body, he again felt something twist his heart. Her hair hadn't been brushed in so long but they had washed the blood and dirt out of it so that it returned to its normal platinum color. She had protected her face well enough that she had a few stitches and patches, but nothing major. There was a bandage around her neck from a cut that had been hidden by the blood. Both her arms were covered from her biceps to her fingers in bandages and padding to help the torn muscle and skin heal. He could see the bandages that were under her patient robes, they wrapped around her collar bone and down her midsection to cover all the deep cuts that littered her upper body and from where the metal rod had punctured her side. Although he couldn't see it, he knew her right leg had to be heavily bandaged after the way he had seen it.

"Gaara…" Temari's voice broke through the incredible amount of silence that made up the room.

"What is it Temari?" He didn't look up, to transfixed on the comatose girl struggling to wake up.

She slowly closed the door behind her, "I didn't expect you to be here. Kankuro told me that you hadn't come by for a visit yet."

"How could I?" He took the moment to finally let his gaze break away and look out the window. "It was my fault that this happened."

Even though he didn't see, Temari looked a little shocked. "What are you talking about? This was _not_ your fault Gaara!"

"I should have made the two of you come with Kankuro and I when we left the Hidden Leaf."

"Hey, just because we left later doesn't mean that had anything to do with what put Setsuko here."

"If she had been here earlier, it may not have happened."

"You don't know that! We had been gone nearly a week, those paper bombs could have been put there at any moment!"

"And how do you know?!"

Temari flinched at the angry and pained shout. She could see he was hurting, bad. The two may never admit it, but they had feelings of some kind for each other; she knew that much. "Gaara maybe…" she paused and bit lightly into her bottom lip. "Maybe you shouldn't be here."

He whipped around with an incredulous look. How dare she say something like that to him! "Why shouldn't I be?"

"Listen to yourself! You're getting worked up and you haven't even noticed that it's bothering Setsuko!" She didn't want to shout, but it was the only way he would hear her.

Gaara jerked and looked back at the unconscious girl. He could hear it now, the rapid beeping of the heart monitor; her pulse was elevated. Temari was right; how he hated when she was right. "…I'm sorry." He sighed and left in a flurry of sand.

"He's been like this ever since you were put here," Temari said as she walked up to the single chair that sat beside the bed. Taking a seat, she sighed to herself, "I don't think he'll admit it to anyone, even himself, but he's really torn up about you being here."

The blonde leaned back in the seat, tilting it back on its hind legs and looking at the flowers that were still fresh. She didn't actually know Setsuko's favorite flower, but after seeing one in her hair at the Spring Festival she had thought it nice. Her eyes flittered up to the ceiling with a stoic look, she remembered the day all too well. They had all wanted to forget it. Good ninja lost their lives and a Princess almost lost hers; it was not something that was remembered with joy. It made her think, Setsuko would be torn up when she heard of Aoi and Isamu.

"Whenever you wake up, it's not going to be a happy day for anyone," she sighed, letting the chair fall back to the floor.

* * *

Her heart was racing, her breathing shallow. Darkness. There was darkness everywhere. Where was she? "Hello?" her voice called out, echoing in the negative space around her. It was eerie being all alone and hearing your voice bounce around and shout back at you.

What was she going to do? Where was she going to go? And most of all, how was she going to escape? Without warning she was thrust into a summery meadow full of tall grass and even taller flowers. The sky was blue and the sun was out. A gentle breeze kissed her frozen skin and gave her long hair a gentle wave. Her ears could hear the chirping of birds and other animals roaming around, but she couldn't see any. Where was she? Her bare feet tried to move, but when they did, she buckled to her knees in pain. Looking down, she could see her legs had bandages on them; lots of bandages. How had they gotten there? Was she in an accident? She couldn't remember. Hissing with pain, she forced herself back to her feet.

With great effort, she made her feet walk and cringed through each step taken. As she moved though, she noticed that more and more bandages appeared on her body. Where had she gotten all these bandages? The bottoms of her feet were beginning to bleed as she kept walking, trying to figure out where she was and how to get back. She stopped. Where was she trying to go? Not once had she ever thought about her destination, something was just compelling her to go. With shaky knees, she toppled to the ground and stared down at her knees. Did she have a home to go to? Did she have people to go back to? Where on earth was she trying to go?

Looking up, another breeze blew through her hair. Her blue eyes blinked away the bangs and she noticed something in the distance. It was a figure of some kind. The image was hazy but the outline looked like that of a man. Running her fingers through her hair, she twisted it a little and pulled it over her shoulder so it wouldn't be in the way and forced herself to her feet. She needed to find out who it was. She needed to find out if they knew who she was and where she was trying to go! Her bloody feet ran and ran, trying desperately not to fall over from the sheer pain. She couldn't let them disappear! They were fading away the closer she got to them, their frame walking away from her. Why were they leaving her behind? She wanted to know who they were!

"Come back!" she shouted as she once again toppled over. Lying in the grass, she stretched out her hand as if that would somehow reach them. "Please! Please…" she dropped her head after they had faded away. "…Who are you?" she inhaled a shaky breath, tears hitting the dirt beneath her, "Who am I?"

Crawling to her knees, her head hung low as she stared at her bandaged hands. Did she belong anywhere? If that person, whoever they were, didn't stay, did that mean she had nowhere to go? She heard the echoing sound of her bones cracking as she balled her hands. Had her bones been broken? What happened to her? The sound of running water caught her attention, bringing her head up she looked around. Placing a hand on the ground, she slowly pushed herself to her feet, catching herself as she almost fell over again. Since she had nowhere else to go, she would go to wherever the sound of the water was coming from.

Her bloody feet carried her for who knows how long before she finally found the source of the noise. A beautiful flowing stream, complete with waterfall. Coming to the edge of the water, she flopped down slowly and placed her feet in the water. She winced at the stinging sensation, but soon relaxed. Leaning over a little, she looked at her reflection. The image was too distorted for her to get a clear view. With a huff, she splashed the water and leaned back. She had no idea what to do. Picking up a nearby pebble, she threw it into the water, listening to the _plop_ sound it made as it broke the surface.

"I didn't expect anyone to be here," a calm voice spoke beside her.

She didn't bother looking up, maybe they would leave her behind to if she did. "I didn't expect to either."

"Do you mind if I sit?" the voice asked.

She silently motioned for them to take a seat beside her.

"What are you doing here?" they asked, picking up a pebble and skipping it through the surface of the stream.

"I don't know." Her eyes watched the pebble but never looked at who threw it. "I just, woke up here. I have no memory of how I got here, where I'm supposed to go…who I am. Nothing."

"Hm," they threw another pebble. "Sounds like a real dilemma."

"I thought I saw someone walking earlier, but when I tried to reach them, they faded away." She played with the pebble in her hands, watching it flip through her fingers.

There was a moment of silence, only interrupted by the sounds of nature around them. "Well, what do you remember?"

"I…" she paused, trying hard to remember. There was nothing. "Nothing. Just, darkness." She looked up to see someone standing on the opposite side of the stream. Like the last, they were hazy too but this one was clearly a woman. She gasped lightly and rubbed her eyes, trying to see if they were playing tricks on her. They had been.

"Something wrong?" they asked, having seen her reaction.

"N-No…uh, it was nothing. Just…I thought…" she paused and shook her head. "No, never mind, it was nothing."

There was another moment of silence before the voice beside her spoke again. "Hm, well if you don't remember who you are, where you're trying to go, or anything before now…we'll need to try something else right?" they didn't wait for her to answer, "Right."

It was sudden when she felt their touch. Her body tensed almost instantly but relaxed after feeling the comfort and love. Their touch was hot, burning and it stung but for some reason, she liked it. She liked the feeling of the difference in their temperatures, although, how they could find a spot on her body not covered in bandages was beyond her. Then, it happened. Flashes of people running through her mind. They were just glimpses, but she could see every one of their faces. It wasn't clear, but they weren't as hazy either. She didn't remember who they were by name, but at least she could see their faces now; she had something to go on!

When their touch left her body, she quickly looked over to them, chancing that glance she hadn't wanted to before in fear they would fade away. A man with silver hair and a headband covering his left eye. "Wait…" she paused and knitted her brow together, thinking. "I know you! Why are you here?"

The man shrugged, "For some reason, you think I'm full of wisdom."

"You, you gave me advice once. I think." She tried to remember but couldn't.

"Hm, doesn't really sound like me," he smiled and vanished from her side.

Her big eyes looked sad, she had never even known his name. With a heavy sigh, she got up painfully. It was time to move on, she still had so much to figure out.

Again her feet began to ache and bleed as she walked. The pain was becoming too much for her to bear and she collapsed. Her vision was becoming blurred, unable to focus on the hazy figure coming towards her. There was no use, she couldn't keep them open, she was feeling so very sleepy; so very heavy. That's all she wanted. She wanted sleep; to sleep for eternity. While she mused the thought over in her head, she could see a light; a light that would blind you if looked at directly. What could be causing such a light? Her heavy hand reached out; she desperately wanted to know. Suddenly a tan hand clasped itself over her own seemingly pale one. Her eyes flashed open and she was met with a pair of wondrous blue eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked as she sat up, awkwardly taking her hand out of his.

His blonde hair moved to the rhythm of the wind and he smiled down at her, but said nothing.

She looked at him strangely, "Are you not going to talk to me? Because, that's kind of rude."

Silently, he helped her to her feet, catching her when she almost fell.

"Um…" she tried to avoid his eyes, "Thanks."

He gave her nothing but a toothy, confident grin.

In her extreme moment of awkwardness, she pulled away from him so quickly that she tripped over her own feet. Looking up, she noticed that he was smiling down at her, almost like he was laughing at her internally. She pursed her lips in a huff, but didn't push away his hand to help her up. It had suddenly dawned on her, she didn't even know her own name. Looking up at the blonde who was only taller than her by mere inches, she wondered what his name was. And what was the name of the man who had helped her before? The echoing sound of her bones cracking as she pulled her hand away made the young man cringe.

"Thanks again," she said softly, looking down at the swaying grass.

"Hey, no problem!" His voice rang in her ears. It was loud, annoying and full of cheer.

She snapped her head to look at him, "You can talk!?"

He nodded, "Yeah, but there wasn't really anything for me to say before."

"Why are you here? What's your name? Who am I?" she began to grill him for information, getting in his face.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down," he said, gently pushing her away. "I'm only here because you needed someone strong to help you up."

She glared at him, "What kind of Buddhist stuff is that?"

"Hey, don't ask me. I'm just here to do a job," he shrugged and slowly faded away.

"Wait!" She tried to reach out to him, but when her hand touched him he was nothing but vapor.

She hung her head. They all had disappeared. Was anyone ever going to stay and give her answers? She still didn't know anything! In fact, she felt like she knew less now than when she first woke up in the darkness. Her feet began to move on their own now, shaky, but stable. She wasn't falling over anymore, she didn't need help to stand anymore; she had the strength now. Another pass of the breeze and she watched her long hair billow around her. Where was she going now? Did she know? Did anyone know? She needed someone to tell her something! Anything! She just wanted answers! She wanted to know why she couldn't remember anything, why everything hurt all over, why there was blackness. She just wanted to know!

Her feet shuffled to a stop. The air was suddenly so cold and harsh. She could feel it tugging at her white robes and whipping her hair about wildly. Somehow though, it felt so, at home. This feeling of bone chilling cold biting at her skin felt peaceful. Her head tilted to the side curiously, the grass here was frosted over; the blue of the ice glinting under the sun. She looked up from her feet slowly, seeing the whole field frozen solid. Slowly she made her way through the icy waves, feeling their smoothness rub against the bandages on her legs. As she got closer to something, the wind picked up, raging around her like a tornado of ice. She put her arms up to shield her face from being cut, suddenly feeling the terrible sting just like her legs. Her fingers cracked again as she clenched her fists tighter and continued to move.

A raging hurricane was happening around her by the time she found the epicenter of the ice. Snow was everywhere; it blanketed the entire meadow in white and blue. In the middle of the icy valley, she was amazed at the massive block of ice sitting in front of her. It was the eye of the storm, untouched by the frost it created. She stepped through the shield of cold and had to crane her neck to get a good view. There were so many cracks in the ice and a shadow could be seen within it. She stepped even closer, squinting her eyes to try and get a better look. An ear shattering screech echoed around her, causing her to cover her ears and wait for it to stop.

When the noise had finally ceased, she ventured another look. The shadow seemed to take the shape of some kind of animal. It was to blurry to see properly though. Placing a gentle hand on the decaying ice, she felt a sudden jerk and a glowing blue eye staring back at her through one of the many cracks. She quickly moved away, stumbling and falling onto her butt. There was such a power behind the stare that she had never felt before! What was in that block of ice? She hissed in pain as she realized her weight on her injured body parts. Taking her eyes off the creature bound in the ice, she was equally surprised when a single claw tried to make its way through her face. She was lucky when something grabbed her and pulled her away, even though the claw couldn't reach her through the small hole.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw two young men standing beside each other. One was tan with dark red hair, sparkling green eyes, years and years worth of bags around his eyes and a scar on his forehead. The other was pale, with black hair all a mess and sapphire blue eyes. "Thanks….whoever you are."

"Don't mention it!" the boy with the blue eyes answered with a cheeky grin.

Slowly she wobbled to her feet, dusting off snow, "I've been meeting a lot of people with blue eyes today." She looked up and noticed they were outside the radius of the snow storm, where the warm glow of the sun beamed its rays upon her pale skin.

"Ya don't say! Guys with blue eyes are kinda awesome," he paused and slapped the back of his hand playfully against the other's chest, earning a grunt, "Sorry man. Guess you're outta luck."

She giggled at his innocent nature, coughing suddenly. The two boys looked at her with worry in their eyes but she waved them off. Looking down at her hand, she was surprised to see blood pooling in it. Looking up, she rubbed the blood away on the back of her robes, "Don't worry, I'm fine. I think the cold just got to me. I've been out in this sun all day ya know."

"Oh yeah, what are you looking for?" the blue eyed boy asked.

"How did you know I was looking for anything?" she asked, her head tilting curiously.

He shrugged, "Well, you don't go wandering out in the sun all day long unless you're looking for something. Am I right?" he looked over to the red head.

In silence, he looked to the blue eyed boy and then looked away.

She looked between the two, "Is something wrong with him?"

"Ya know, I have no clue. He's been like this ever since we got here." He scratched his head, staring at the red head.

She got close to the young man, eyeing him up and down, earning an uncomfortable stare from him. "What's your name?"

He didn't answer.

"Like I said, he hasn't said anything since we got here." The blue eyed boy sighed.

"Hm, so why are you guys here?" she took her gaze away from the red head.

"You needed someone to give you answers." Both of them were astonished to hear the voice of the red headed man speak.

She gently smacked him upside the head, 'Then why didn't you give them to me when I just asked you a question?"

"It wasn't one you needed answered." He ignored the gesture with a stoic expression.

The blue eyed boy shook a finger, smiling, "That's right!" he turned to his partner, "Man, you're a good guy to have around. I had totally forgotten why we were here."

Both boys held out a hand, a ball of light appearing in each one, only growing brighter when they were put together. She was amazed by the light. It wasn't like the last one she had seen. That light felt cold and lonely, this one though, this one felt warm and bright. This was a light she was willing to walk into. Slowly she reached out to the light in their joint hands, captivated by the voices that emanated from it. Some of the voices sounded familiar to her, like the voice of the man by the stream, the one who had helped her stand and these two. There were other voices to, ones she didn't recognize and images were slowly starting to pass through the light. Things were being shown to her, told to her! She gently took each of their hands and placed them over her heart, feeling the warmth envelope her like a pair of strong arms wrapping around her.


	29. Pain of the Light

**A/N: Sorry I'm a little late with the chapter. I have a wicked sunburn and haven't been doing much today because of it. Sooooooo much pain! Fucking buses man.**

**Anyhow! I know like 10 chapters ago I said we were getting closer to the end, but now I actually mean it. I don't know how far away that is exactly, but it's getting REALLY close.**

**Also, I put up the first chapter of that new story I mentioned. If ya wanna check it out, darkness galore! It came out WAY better than I expected so I can't wait to start working on it.**

**This chapter is a little short but enjoy!**

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Wakana lay next to her mother, never once having left her side since being found. The small fireball worried that she would never wake up. It didn't help her nerves any when Gaara had come for a visit that once and since then hadn't come back. She had heard the conversation between him and his sister but didn't understand a single word of it. All she knew was that they were both upset, which in turn caused Setsuko to become upset. It had been exactly one week since then and today was the day that pink haired medic was supposed to come for Setsuko's weekly check-ups. Wakana never showed herself to the medic, but watched everything she did from the safety of the realm only her kind and wandering souls could inhabit.

On cue, said pink haired, green eyed, nurse walked in with her hair up and those signature white robes on. White eyes watched as she picked up the chart that hung at the foot of Setsuko's hospital bed and flipped through the pages. She placed a finger against her chin, looking like she was thinking hard about something and earned the curiosity of the Shibokasai. Wakana floated over to peer over the young woman's shoulders and see what she was reading. None of the words made any sense to her because she couldn't read human.

Bringing the chart with her, she walked around the side of the bed and set it on the small bedside table as she checked all of the monitors to make sure they were working in proper order and producing accurate readings. Taking the stethoscope from around her neck, she placed it in her ears and carefully began to check her vitals. There was great care needed because of the massive physical trauma she had suffered from being in the direct line of the thousands of explosions. Wakana's white eyes flickered from the nurse to Setsuko and back to the nurse as her brows seemed knitted together in contemplation. Her ears were suddenly at the ready when she heard a small gasp from the woman and shrill screams of pain.

"I need help here!" the woman screamed as she quickly placed some of her weight on the flailing arms of Setsuko as she screamed and cried in pain.

Three other nurses ran in at the urgency of her call, all semi-shocked as they witnessed the struggling Princess.

"Hold her down while I get another I.V. started!" she commanded as she let the three take over. From the corner of her eye, she was mentally amazed that she had awoken so suddenly and not passed out from the pain yet.

She quickly rifled through the cabinets and pulled out a bag of clear liquid, rushing over to the currently empty bag and throwing it aside. With professional ease, she switched the two bags and began administering the pain medication that had been keeping her comfortable. She gripped the bag tight so that the medication would drip faster and flush through her system sooner. Wakana quickly flickered out of the room and zoomed her way to Gaara's office to try and get him to go to the hospital. When she found him, he was sitting on the roof of the Kazekage building looking out at the village. A stoic look of loneliness that was only known to him was on his face.

Her raging blue fire appeared in front of his face and he actually looked surprised, "Wakana?" his vocal cords breathed. "What are you doing here?"

She squeaked and flew around him rapidly, her fire even turning red when he gave her a quizzical look.

"I…I don't understand…" His brow furrowed and his head shook lightly.

Her body dropped a little in exasperation before floating back up to be eye level with him. Soon, many little balls of blue fire roared to life in a trail leading towards the hospital.

His eyes followed the trail and when his brain registered the direction they were going his eyes widened a fraction. "Setsuko?" He stood quickly and followed the trail in haste, with Wakana appearing on his shoulder.

Gaara arrived at the hospital well after they had sedated the in pain Princess. He burst through the door only to have Sakura glare and push him out. Slamming the door in his face, he fell back against the opposite wall and exhaled heavily. He could hear Sakura and the other nurses talking but all of it was muffled. Wakana appeared by his side, having hidden so no one else could see her, and cooed at him softly. Absently, he ran his fingers along her flaming fur as a way to comfort his racing mind. It didn't help all that much. Setsuko was just beyond that door, alive and finally awake. He no longer had to worry about her possibly slipping away in the middle of the night. It was his fears that had kept him away this entire time, unable to cope with the horrible pain it seemed to bring his being when he saw her in such a broken state.

"Gaara." Sakura's voice caused him to bring his eyes from the floor and look at her. Her eyes were a shade of green that reminded him of jade. "Don't just barge into a hospital room with a severely injured patient! You can cause more damage if we mess up from outbursts like that!" She was glaring at him, seething with anger at the way he had rushed into the room.

The look he gave her though, it softened her anger. It looked like a child who was being scolded by their parent for getting into trouble. She couldn't stay mad at a face like that. "…Is she…" he ventured to speak.

Sakura sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "She woke up not too long ago but we had to sedate her because she was in too much pain. Through her writhing, she managed to reopen practically all her stitches so those had to be redone and then re-bandaged." She sighed again, this time rubbing the bridge of her nose. "We already switched out her pain meds so that when she wakes up again at least she'll be in mild comfort. But that might not be until tomorrow."

"I understand." He nodded, trying to act as composed as possible which he found was actually quite difficult.

"I'm going to send word to Lady Tsunade that I'll be staying here for a few days, I'll be back shortly." Undoing her hair, she smoothed it out as she removed the robes and walked past him. "You're welcome to go in and visit, just don't stay long. She needs her rest," she said to him over her shoulder as she made her way towards the front doors of the hospital.

Gaara walked into the room without a sound, Wakana leaving his shoulder and hovering beside Setsuko's sleeping form. The annoying beeping of her heart monitor echoed in his ears as he stared at her from the door. He still had trouble looking at her. It was even worse that he was hesitating on getting any closer to her. Why was it so hard? What kind of question was that? He knew the answer; he had known it for nearly a month. He had feelings for her; the constant fear that she would die any moment, his racing nerves, pained heart and wrenching gut. It was an unavoidable truth. Would he ever admit it? Probably not. He had no idea what was going through her mind and this moment didn't seem the right time to say anything.

With a heavy sigh, he walked over to the bed and sat down in the chair. Running a hand over his face and into his hair, he leaned back in the stiff metal chair and stared up at the ceiling. He remembered the day he realize and admitted to himself that he had feelings. Before he had been so confused having never felt like this about someone, but now he knew. It was two weeks into her admittance, when she was the most unstable. She had crashed at least once in that period and when he had heard about it, he felt his whole being grow cold. They were able to save her, but when the words left Temari's mouth he had felt so devastated and hollow. It was as if all he heard was that she had died again.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose at the memory. His green eyes looked over to her sleeping, bandaged body and he uncomfortably crossed his arms. He wasn't good in situations like this at all. Was he supposed to say anything to her? What could he say? Could he tell her that he had felt guilt at not being there to save her? Or that he was angry at himself for not finding her sooner? What about the fact that he hadn't come to visit nearly the entire time she was here? How could he tell her that he had had feelings for her when he hadn't even mustered up the courage to visit her? There was little doubt that would go over well.

Leaning back in the chair, his eyes lazily fell onto the clock; 4:39pm. The day was already more than half over and he hadn't even bothered to do any work, the council wouldn't like that. As he stared up at the ceiling, his mind wandered to his meeting with Kazeku and he suddenly felt his blood boil. That man had tried to talk to him since Setsuko had been put in the hospital but each time, Gaara had brushed him off. He had been in a fouler mood than normal, almost like his days as a child. Kazeku was certainly pushy; it made him think that there was some ulterior motive behind him even being here in Suna.

"Hn, I guess she made a stupid choice," a smooth and sardonic voice cooed from the shadows in the room.

He was instantly on guard, his sand already swirling around him angrily. How dare someone invade her room like this! "Come out of the shadows," he ordered darkly.

Before him stood the Ice Dragon Meroko, her black cat suit covering her to allow her to blend with the shadows. "Oh don't be so pouty Gaara."

He glared at her, his sand moving at lightning speed to pin her to the wall, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to talk," she grunted, feeling the sand tighten around her thin body. He could see her face contort in pain and honestly, it brought him pleasure.

"Then talk." He wasn't in the mood for her games. From their first encounter he knew she liked to play with her opponents. This was not the place, or the time. "Have you come to slay her while she lay injured?"

She laughed, "What? No! I don't like my prey to be helpless….completely." Meroko hissed when she felt the sand tighten around her, the feeling of her daggers digging into her back becoming very uncomfortable. "I gave her a choice when we met in Konoha…"

His eyes widened, barely straying from the death glare they held though. "What do you mean you met?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Meroko pushed aside her pain and smirked cockily down at him. "Keeping secrets from each other is a bad move this early in your relationship ya know," she taunted with another laugh.

"Shut up." He slowly began closing his hand into a fist, tightening his sand even more. There was the tiniest of whimpers from her, but otherwise she made no move to show she was in pain. She was very well trained. "Explain yourself."

She coughed out a laugh. "We had a nice little chat at that festival. Oh how she talked about you," she paused to allow a smirk to play on her lips under her mask. "We talked about her mother and the necklace she gave away…" Another pause. "And her death." The look he gave her made her cackle in amusement. "I let her choose how she wanted to die, taking thousands with her, or alone. Apparently she chose to take your village down with her. I guess she couldn't bring herself to lose more people she cared about."

"What-" he was cut off by Wakana buzzing around the woman's face angrily, her flames white hot.

Meroko cocked a brow, "What is this thing?"

Gaara couldn't help the slightly amused smirk that tugged at his lips. "Wakana. She's kind of attached to Setsuko and she apparently has some governing over the dead, so I doubt she'll let her die."

"Hm." She glared at the fireball, a swirl of ice forming and exploding in Wakana's face, throwing her across the room.

Gaara's sand shot out and caught Wakana before she hit the wall, cradling her in his sand. "Why would she choose a decision like that?" he wondered out loud to himself as his mind went back to their discussion.

Meroko tilted her head to the side, resting it on her shoulder, "Who knows. She's a complicated little vessel…" Gaara whipped his head around, looking at her with a sense of curiosity and shock. "Oops, did I let that slip? Silly me."

"Vessel? Vessel for what?" he asked, truly stunned by her words. He shook his head, "Wait, how do I know you're even telling the truth?"

"Hm, guess you don't," she shrugged. "That blonde kid knows, well, kinda. He's seen it anyways."

Naruto knows about this, he thought to himself still trying to work out the details and figure out if she was telling the truth.

She felt the sand around her loosen and used the opportunity to break free using a blizzard. "Well, this had been fun but…" she paused as she made her way to the window, "I have things to do, stuff to steal, people to kill…Ta." She disappeared in a whirl of icy wind.

Gaara stood in the silence of the room pondering everything he just heard. If Setsuko was a vessel, did this make her a Jinchuriki? "She's wrong…" the hoarse, strained voice caught him off guard.

"Setsuko?" he was shocked to see her eyes open, staring up at the ceiling with a serious look he had never seen from her before.

"I didn't make the decision to stay…" She never once looked at him, even when his brows furrowed together and a heavy feeling of anger seemed to seep into the room.

Wakana slowly woke up, seeing both of the teenagers not looking at each other. Gaara clenched his hands into fists, blood slowly starting to slide around his knuckles. "You lied to me?"

"I never lied to you. I just never said anything," she corrected, still not bothering to look at him. It hurt too much to move anyways.

"How is that any different?!" He sighed heavily, trying to calm himself. "Are you a Jinchuriki?"

Finally she looked over at him, wincing a few times in the process. "What? No! I don't even know what that is." Setsuko cringed painfully and went back to looking at the ceiling.

She screamed in pain when he was suddenly grabbing her arm, "And why does Naruto know about whatever is going on?"

"Gaara…" she whimpered, wincing as his grip tightened around her. Her bandaged face contorted in agony as pain coursed through her damaged body. "It hurts…" Seeing what he was doing, he quickly let her go, causing her to fall back against the bed. She cried out in pain as her back hit the mattress.

"I…" he couldn't even bring himself to apologize even though he felt bad. His anger was too much though.

"Get out." Her voice was low and trying desperately to be resolute but the pain she felt made it falter. "Get out!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as the room exploded into jagged, sharp spikes of ice.

Gaara's sand shielded him on instinct and he silently did as she demanded.

The door to her room was being banged on as she painfully cried in her bed, her arm bleeding. She didn't even notice when the door swung open from a punch delivered by her pink haired medic. Her mind was elsewhere, ignoring everything going on around her as everyone rushed in to see how she was doing; amazed by the condition of the room. Setsuko had been awake for most of the conversation that Gaara and that aggravating woman had and there was only one thing on her mind now. Vessel? She would have been told if she were a vessel for something. Wouldn't she? What was being kept from her?

"I need to see Kazeku…"


	30. Decisions Made

**A/N: First off, thank you you anonymous reviewer. I will do as you suggest in the future. I'm sorry that made you uncomfortable and I understand way better than you might think. But I'm also glad that didn't deter you from reading on!**

**Okay! So my poor back is feeling a little better, but it still feels like I fell down three flights of stairs. But! I'm obviously feeling better to write, so whoo! However, we're all caught up on chapters so they MAY not come as frequently. Then again, spring break is this weekend so who knows! Still sick though. Do you know how much it sucks being sick AND having a sunburn?! It's awful! I can't go five minutes without coughing up a lung and constantly burning and hurting. Ugh!**

**Enjoy!**

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Setsuko sat up in her bed, staring out the window at the vast desert that created the landscape. She was finally feeling well enough to at least sit up in bed. Temari had been by often, offering her comfort and an ear to listen. Kankuro had stopped by too, mostly to drabble on about goings on in the village. He mentioned that her advisor had been in the village since her unfortunate incident which struck her as odd. How convenient that he would show up just as she was almost blown to pieces. Wakana had left to be with Gaara, who she hadn't talked to since she screamed at him to get out a week ago. Her still broken fingers cracked as she tried to move them.

"Damn bandages," she grumbled in irritation to herself.

Turning her head back to her hands, she looked down at her bandaged body. Sakura had told her to get as much rest as possible until her stitches had healed. After she had reopened nearly all of them through her screaming fit, she was left back at nearly square one in her healing process. But maybe, if she was careful enough, she could finagle herself out of bed. Placing weight on a damaged arm, she cringed in agony as she ever so slowly got out of bed. Using the metal frame of the bed for support, she placed almost all her weight onto her less damaged leg and hobbled over to the window, with her I.V. drip scuddling up beside her.

Leaning against the window frame, she felt the desert breeze blow through her messy hair and sting her skin. She wanted nothing more than to leave this place and never come back. Right now, she felt so dead inside. The only people she ever called family had been slaughtered. The first man she ever loved was dead. Her first friends didn't actually know a thing about her. There was some weird thing going on with that blonde idiot back at the Hidden Leaf Village. Some crazy bitch wanted to maim her. And the one guy she was opening up for felt she betrayed him in some crazy way because she didn't tell him stuff. It's not like he was the most forth coming either! Crossing her arms in defiance, she huffed. The strain of her slowly boiling anger seemed to be too much for her still frail body as she began a coughing fit so bad that drops of blood stained the white gauze wrapped around her hand.

_Setsuko_

She stifled her coughing and looked up suddenly. Something had said her name. "He-hello?"

_Setsuko_

There is was again! "Who's there?" She looked around her room, but there was no one and nothing but white walls.

_Release me_

"Huh?" She couldn't understand what was going on? Where was this voice coming from? Thinking on it, she knew that voice. She had heard it somewhere before.

_RELEASE ME!_

The voice screamed at her so loudly that she had to cover her ears. She slammed against the window frame as the pain she had experienced in Konoha grew ten fold. Instinctually she tried to reach out for something, but there was nothing but air and her I.V. drip. Setsuko screamed as the temperature in the room began to drop drastically. It felt like her mind was splitting apart! Collapsing to her knees, she gripped at her hair, her fingers tangling themselves in the knots. The voice grew louder and louder. It shouted and raged at her to let it free!

The temperature dropped lower and lower, what little moister that was in the air froze. Icicles began to form on the metal frame of her bed and the stucco frame of the window; even the door was frozen shut. As the pain only grew, her scalp began to bleed as her nails dug deeper and deeper in to her skin, scratching and tearing away at it. If the pain grew anymore, it was possible she would scratch her own eyes out. Hunching over, screaming in agony, her eyes snapped open, both of them glowing. The floor seemed to disappear from view as images of the massive block of ice in her mind seemed to decay even further. She saw chunks of it falling to the meadowy ground beneath it that was now a frozen tundra. Setsuko shut her eyes, she didn't want to see it! She didn't want it to be true! She had never even wanted the power she possessed!

She heard a terrible, ear splitting screech that caused her to scream along with it and tear at the bandages on her face. The pain was far too intense! She could see glowing blue eyes through the raging blizzard and she finally passed out. Slumping to the floor in a broken heap, blood slowly dripped to the icy floor as it leaked from the open wound she had scratched into her face. There was a pounding at the door before it flew off its hinges. Everyone standing at the door was in shock, the nurses for their patient that now lay unconscious on the floor, and the ninja that looked at the room that had been frozen solid. Even the window was covered in ice.

By the time she had come too, she had already been moved to a different room and had new bandages put in place from the ones she tore off. Her eyes danced around the room wildly as she woke up, finding herself surrounded by people that she knew. Kazeku, Temari, Kankuro and even Gaara was standing off in the corner; all of them were there. Painfully, and slowly, she pushed herself into a sitting position, the moment she did though she had a coughing fit again.

She wiped the blood away and looked up at everyone, mostly at Gaara. "Why are you guys here?" She waved her hands, "Wait, scratch that." She paused to look directly at Kazeku, "Why are _you_ here, Kazeku?"

The older man cleared his throat, "Things have gone from bad to worse Milady. Ever since Hui's disappearance and Maki's death, the village has been in total disarray."

Setsuko felt her breath hitch at the mention of their names, clinging to the blankets of her hospital bed tightly. "What of the others?"

"It seems that whoever is paying these assassins has let them run wild and take over our village. The other soldiers are dead or missing…" he trailed off, watching for her reaction, as was everyone else.

She felt a sharp pain behind her eyes, wincing and pinching the bridge of her nose. "Kazeku…"

"Yes Princess?" He looked at her with curious gray eyes.

Her eyes opened slowly, casting a glance towards Gaara who wasn't even looking at her but off in the distance with his arms crossed. That's how she knew him. "I wish to go home." all four of them seemed stunned, although Gaara hid it well.

Temari pushed Kazeku out of her way, standing in front of him, "What? You can't be serious!"

"I am though." Her voice was raw and oddly serious. It was the same tone Gaara had heard from her a week earlier when the Ice Dragon snuck into her room.

"You'll die if you go back!" she shouted, shock and worry etched on her face.

Never once did she look at the older Sand Sibling. "I'll die either way."

Temari turned to her baby brother, "Gaara! You can't just let her-"

"She's right." He said before she could even finish her statement, earning Setsuko's gaze.

She finally looked up at Temari with a sad smile. "By the way, I haven't gotten to ask yet but…where are Isamu and Aoi?" The air in the room seemed to become heavy and silent. They didn't even have to say anything. Her fingers dug further into the fabric of her blankets, earning echoing pops from her knuckles, "I see…Well, at least this way I won't put the lives of anymore of your people in danger."

"I understand Milady," Kazeku put a gentle on hers, "We'll leave as soon as you're better."

Setsuko began coughing blood into her hand and Sakura come walking through the door, "Alright that's enough for today. She needs her rest."

For days that was how it was. Someone would come by for a little bit before being told to leave as it was putting strain on her body. And every day she would cough up blood. Although Sakura assured her it was just residual blood being siphoned out of her body as it healed, it was still unnerving to cough it up every single day. Her days were long and boring as she spent most of her time in her room, in the quiet. The few days she would get to leave, were to be wheeled to healing sessions to make sure she was healing properly. Thankfully though, ever since the day she told everyone she would be returning home, that horrible pain in her head hadn't come back.

"Wait…" she paused as she forced her nurse to stop. They were on their way back to her room from a healing session and Setsuko was feeling rather well. Her body still hurt a lot, but she wanted to try and speed up the process by trying. "I want to try and walk."

"What?!" her nurse looked almost frantic at her words. "You're not ready for something like that yet!"

Ignoring the bumbling brunette beside her, she gripped the arms of the wheelchair. "We don't know that." She was talking mostly to herself as she grit her teeth in pain, pushing and forcing herself to her feet.

A few feet away, Sakura and Temari were watching the Princess struggle to get to her feet, hearing her nurse fret over her. "She's recovering rather quickly."

"It doesn't really surprise me. She's a stubborn Princess," Temari muttered with an amused smirk. Currently Setsuko was fighting with her nurse, who was desperately trying to get her to sit back in the wheelchair.

"She's nowhere near Naruto's recovery time, but that boy's healing is unnatural to begin with." A giggle erupted from the pinkette's throat as she watched the nurse evilly pat Setsuko on the back which earned a howl of pain from the blonde. "She should be good to go home within the net couple of weeks."

That sentence seemed to fill Temari with unease. "I don't like it."

Sakura looked over at her. Temari's face was serious as she watched Setsuko's back. "What do you mean?"

"She's essentially going home to die. I don't like it." Temari was digging her nails into her arms in apprehension about the situation.

"Well," she began, rolling her eyes towards Temari, "She's a Princess right? We have no right to say anything against royalty."

Although she hated to admit it, Sakura was right. Temari ground her teeth in aggravation as she left the arguing Princess with the nurses and doctors, telling them that she was fine. How could Gaara be okay with this? She wasn't blind! Although, something did seem different between the two; maybe something happened. She would find out from Gaara, even if he was almost impossible to extract information from. Why would he just be okay with her leaving to be executed? Angrily, Temari pulled her fan from her back and swung it, leaving a hole in a nearby restaurant; people giving her bewildered stares. She stomped her way to the Kazekage office, giving anyone that tried to talk to her a glare that meant certain death.

Setsuko stood by her window, watching Temari cause an angry scene below with an impassive look. The desert wind blew threw her finally clean and combed hair; she had been able to take a bath the other day. She felt the free hair brush at her bandaged cheeks with such a light touch that it almost tickled. Leaning against the window frame for support, her arms were crossed across her stomach almost in a thinking pose. The door behind her clicked open and then shut but she didn't bother turning.

"You wished to see me Princess?" Kazeku's voice asked as he stood somewhere behind her. The sound of his voice always made her skin crawl.

There was a moment of silence as she brought her head up to look out at the horizon. Another pass of the wind blew her long ponytail against her back, the many single strands tickling her neck. "Kazeku, tell me the truth."

She could almost feel his confusion. "The truth Milady? I'm afraid I don't understand."

She sighed, "I don't just have Yukiuta's chakra in me do I." Ever since she first saw the strange block of ice in the recesses of her mind, she had her suspicions but there was never any proof. If that assassin knew about it, then it must be true; right?

Kazeku cleared his throat, walking up behind her, "Why would you think that Milady?"

"I've heard rumors, plus my own suspicions." She turned around, a little surprised that he was so close but never showed it on her face. "Why was I never told?"

"We weren't sure ourselves. The great cryophoenix's body was always the hardest to follow. It always chose its hosts on its own." He gentle placed his hands on her shoulders causing her eyes to follow his hands before glancing up at him. "It chose those it deemed worthy of carrying such a heavy burden." He paused as he became eye level with her. The look in his eyes said everything; he was up to something. "Has anything strange been happening to you Milady?"

Setsuko stared into his gray eyes for the longest time, like she was searching for answers to her questions. "No. Not that I've noticed anyway."

He gathered her in his arms gently so not to hurt her, "Good. Nothing good comes from her being released." As she rested her head against his chest, he looked out the window with a dark look.

* * *

Meroko removed her mask as she walked towards the canyon wall. Her long blonde hair fell down her back, whipping it around to get it loosened from wearing such a confining piece of clothing. She couldn't wait until she could wear the clothes she wanted to wear. Looking over her shoulder, her eyes flashed purple for a split second before a smirk appeared tugging at her lips. Her powder blue eyes turned back to the rock wall in front of her only to watch it split apart and move as if doors opening just for her. They were, kind of. As she stepped through and the wall closed, she was greeted by the large, imposing older man that towered over her lithe frame.

"Ice Dragon." His greeting was short and matter-of-fact as he crossed his arms and stared down at her.

She gave him her trademarked grin, "Ero."

With posture only befitting of someone with high stature, she walked ahead of him briskly. Her long blonde hair swiped at her back with each step she took, her steps barely making any sound. The paleness of her cream skin almost seemed to glow in the tunnel with which they walked. All around them they were faced with an ice covered cavern of her own doing. When they arrived in Sunagakure over a month ago, Ero had carved out a hide away for them in the canyon the desert people used to protect themselves and she frosted over each wall with cold, sleek blue ice. The glow it gave made the caves seem magical.

In the echoing silence, the two walked for a long few minutes before the light of an opening began to blind their adjusting eyes. Once they reached the curved archway, Meroko's eyes fell upon four bodies sitting about, waiting. She silently scoffed to herself as she gazed upon the even number of genders. Two seemed to simply be watching as the other two were playing a board game of some kind. The woman playing was getting aggravated and was suddenly flipping the game over in anger.

"I swear you cheat at this damn game!" Seira stood quickly, pointing an accusatory finger at the young man sitting lazily across from her.

He choked out a laugh, "You wish I did. I can't help that you're an idiot."

Seira grabbed him by the collar with a glare of utter rage, "What was what?" she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Now, now Seira," Meroko's smooth voice cooed as she walked into the room with an authorative sway of her hips. "If you're going to threaten someone with an I.Q. of almost two hundred at cheating, you best have proof."

Burning eyes snapped to the icy woman without fear and scoffed, pushing Tao back into his seat which he promptly slipped off of. "He's no fucking genius."

"Says the woman who bites before she barks," Tao muttered from the ground, staring up at the frozen ceiling. From the floor he did a back flip just in time to dodge the board being driven into the ground where his neck used to be.

"Alright knock it off you two!" Meroko promptly scolded. Crossing her arms delicately across her chest, she tapped her foot against the floor and the ground began to rumble. Coming up from the floor, in the middle of the room, a large boulder of ice appeared with a flat surface and all of them gathered around it slowly, "It's time we get to play."


	31. Taunting Feelings of the Past

**A/N: Two chapters in one day?! Crazy! But I'm energized! Pumped! So I decided to grace you all with a second chapter. **

**Enjoy!**

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"Ma'am," the soft voice of a nurse broke the silence of single occupant.

There was a strained grunt, "What?"

"You have a visitor."

"I said I didn't want any visitors."

"I'm sorry but, he insisted."

Setsuko strained her neck a little to look over her shoulder. She was more than a little surprised at who she saw standing beside the nurse. "Gaara?"

The nurse looked between the two, "I'll leave you two alone." She bowed and left, shutting the door behind her.

The room the two teens stood in was a good size, definitely bigger than her room. The walls were white like everything else here, but the floors were a nice polished wood; sleek but not slippery. There were many chairs and tables scattered about and even more small tracks with metal bars for people to use for physical therapy. The tracks themselves were about six feet in length, with the bars following. Gaara watched from the door as Setsuko white knuckle gripped at the metal bars while slowly shuffling along the track. It had been two weeks already and she was already forcing them to let her do physical therapy to get her right leg working again. He was slightly impressed.

"What are you doing here?" her voice broke the silence as she grunted with each step.

Gaara didn't bother to make a move, "We need to talk."

He could see her body tense just a bit. She stopped briefly, looking down at her feet that were slightly pigeon toed as she tried her hardest to walk straight. He wanted to talk? Her head came back up, looking ahead of her, "There's nothing to talk about."

"You think going home to die is going to solve everything?" He was far too direct, but it needed to be said. It didn't help at all that Temari had burst into his office, again, and screamed at him to do something. And how could he let her do this? She screamed a bunch of nonsensical things that him left him more confused than anything else.

"No, but I won't let people die because of me," she replied dryly. Never once had she bothered to look back at him, trying hard to keep her focus on strengthening her leg.

His lips tightened a bit, "And what about all the people that have already died for you?"

Finally she stopped and glanced back at him, but never actually looking at him. "I won't let anyone else die for me! I'm not worth it…" Slowly she turned back to face the wall in front of her. Even though it hurt, she forced herself to stay standing as she inched a foot forward, still desperately trying not to think about what they were talking about.

"What makes you think that?" He was truly curious.

Again she stopped. "Without Yukiuta's chakra, I'm a nobody. I'm just a regular person like anybody else. That's all I've ever wanted to be too; just like everybody else. You don't know what that's like."

Gaara mentally scoffed. He knew exactly what that was like. Finally he took the steps necessary to be beside Setsuko and looking at her dead locked, although she timidly avoided his gaze. "I know the feeling well." He wasn't angry. He wasn't even irritated. It wasn't like she knew anything about him, which was probably why they both felt awkward around each other. She had opened up to him, but he hadn't done the same. "Do you remember me asking you about Jinchuriki?"

Setsuko glanced over to him, nodding a little reply.

"Well, Jinchuriki are, for lack of a better term, human sacrifices. They're people who house the spirits of Tailed Beasts; that includes their chakra and their bodies. In total, there are nine of them." He paused a moment, breaking eye contact with her and bracing himself on the metal rail she used for support. "Jinchuriki are regarded as scum and people often look at them like they are the demons themselves." Memories of his lonely childhood flashed through Gaara's mind. "They never have friends and even their families turn their backs to them in disgust and fear. But what people tend to forget the most is that Jinchuriki are people, just like them. They live, breathe, eat and feel the same as everyone else. They aren't the burdens forced upon them…"

She stared at him with sympathetic realization as his words drifted into silence. The way he spoke about the situation. She could feel the past pain in his words, the hope of being accepted, the need to want people to look at him as a person and not a Jinchuriki. "You're one of them, aren't you?"

He shook his head. "I was, not too long ago. Shukaku, the one tail, was sealed inside of me before I was even born and as a result…" he almost seemed to choke on his own words. "As a result, my mother died giving birth to me. When a Tailed Beast is extracted from its host, the host…well, they die. I was revived because my friends, they never gave up on me but I understand, better than you think." He allowed for another pause as he tried to word his next sentence. "I understand that need to want to scream at everyone in sight, to show them that you're there. That you're not what they think you are but knowing that they will never seen you like that."

"Gaara…" she softly cut him off, feeling that he had said enough. Even though his face never once showed it, she could hear everything in his words. It spoke volumes to her about who he was, who he is now and how he felt.

He finally found the courage to look up into her big blue eyes that he loved so much. Never had he seen eyes like hers and they always left him breathless.

Setsuko was about to speak again when the door slammed opened and Kankuro was standing at its threshold with a look of anger, "We have a problem."

All three of them made their way through the hospital as fast as they could, which wasn't much because Setsuko was still having trouble walking. Gaara had helped her most of the way, but she was stubborn the entire time and insisted she could do it on her own. Whenever he would oblige her, she would topple over about three times before he was helping her to her feet and they were walking together. Kankuro led them down three hallways before opening a door and seeing Temari standing in a room next to a young teenaged girl.

She was young, possibly no older than fifteen. Her body was a complete wreck! She was covered head to toe in cuts and bruises, her brown hair a tattered mess and her green eyes puffy from crying while one was swollen shut. From the sheets on her bed, she looked up and was shocked to see the Kazekage walking into her room. Even though it was almost impossible, she tried her hardest to bow to him. Temari looked over at her brothers and Setsuko, who seemed to be pushing away from Gaara as they entered.

"What's going on?" Gaara asked, seriousness in his tone as he looked at the girl. He recognized her but couldn't remember her name off the top of his head.

She looked apprehensive, feeling intimidated that Lord Kazekage was standing in her room and asking her what was happening. Temari leaned over, "It's okay. He's not going to bite. Just tell him what happened."

The girl pulled at the sheets nervously, "It's my baby sister Lord Kazekage." She paused, biting into her bottom lip. "She was taken a few hours ago by a group of people I have never seen before." Her eyes began to sting as tears threatened to fall. "I don't even know them! They knew her though. They knew her name and where we live; they even knew my name." She bravely stifled her crying, taking deep slow breaths. "They said they wanted a necklace she wore, but when she refused to give it up, they took her."

"What's her name?" Setsuko ventured to ask, fearing that she already knew.

The young girl looked up from her sheets and into her eyes with worry and fear. "Tobari." Both Gaara and Setsuko felt their hearts skip a beat at her name. That cute little kid of the playground! "Please!" the girl shouted, folding her hands together, "They said they would be waiting at the south end of the village. You have to save her! She's the only person I have left!"

Setsuko turned to Gaara, the look on her face telling him that there was nothing he could do to stop her. He knew how she felt, but was reluctant given her current state. She was in no condition to be taking on a group of assassins. Given that only the two of them knew of the little girl, and Meroko the assassin, it was an obvious ploy to trap Setsuko and kill her. With amazing ease, she shuffled out of the room and began making her way to her own, using the wall as a support. Kankuro and Temari looked at each other as all three of the Sand Siblings left the girl and followed after the angered blonde.

How could this happen? Why were they doing this? That poor innocent girl! She had nothing to do with any of this and yet she was being held hostage. This was all her fault! Setsuko dropped her head as she made it to her room, feeling the strain of her guilt and pain overwhelming her. Bracing herself against the frame of her bed, she felt dizzy and physically sick. The only thing that had moved her was her own will to help that little girl. An image of that sad little girl raced through her mind and she sighed heavily. This was all her fault!

"This is dangerous you know." Gaara didn't even bother trying to talk her out of what she was thinking of doing. He felt the same way honestly. This was their responsibility.

Hearing his voice snapped her back to reality and she began fishing for her clothes. "I'm aware."

"Then you know this is what they want you to do?" He had asked but he knew it was more a statement than a question, yet for some reason it had come out that way.

"Yes," she nodded as she removed the patient robes she was forced to wear. Kankuro and Gaara quickly turned away, both lightly blushing. "But I'm not going to let Tobari die because of me. I refuse to let that happen!"

Gaara stepped in front of her after she had finished getting dressed. His gaze was just as serious and determined as hers. "I'm coming with you then."

Normally, she would have flat out refused his help. Lucky for him though, this was no ordinary day. "Alright," she nodded, squeaking lightly as his arm was immediately wrapping around her waist.

"Temari, Kankuro," he turned to face his siblings. "Make sure the ANBU and Jonin are on standby. We don't know if we'll have a catastrophe on our hands."

"Right." The two of them nodded and left quickly to send word to all available ninja.

In a flurry of sand, the two teens were whisked away and headed towards the southern half of the village. It had to be one of the least guarded places in the whole village; the very outskirts of town. There was no wonder they would choose a place like this to make demands. It didn't take them long to arrive at the south half of the village, but the span from which the kidnappers could be was vast. Setsuko's eyes roamed the large canyon wall from one end to the other, and she couldn't even see either end. The sand slithered its way back into Gaara's gourd and he too followed her gaze. Honestly, they had no idea where these kidnappers were and it was an unpleasant thought that Tobari might already be dead.

Gaara's green eyes shifted to Setsuko's damaged body. She seemed so serious, so angry and yet, the air around her was afraid. What could she possibly be afraid of? Was she afraid of dying? He remembered the feeling well. It wasn't something to fear, but he could certainly understand dying so young was. He wanted to reach out and comfort her; to silently tell her that there was nothing to fear. To tell her he was there by her side. But it was the wrong place. The wrong time. Things like that, would have to wait for another day.

"Well, well, well, look at what we have here!" They both knew that voice by now. Craning their necks, they saw the assassin that had been plaguing them through this entire time with Tobari in her arms. She held a blade to the little girl's throat, "Don't you two just look so cute together. I hope you guys worked out all your demons."

She cackled when she saw each of them tense. "Let her go!" Setsuko shouted.

"Ooo, and if I say no?"

"I'll make you."

Meroko laughed, pressing the blade against Tobari's neck and causing her to whimper. "That's possibly the greatest joke I've ever heard!" She saw Setsuko take a step, "Ah! I wouldn't if I were you Princess. You see, I didn't take this little brat without a plan." Five more bodies stepped to her side, two on her right and three on her left. "You see, I came prepared!"

Gaara and Setsuko watched as three of the bodies disappeared. Gaara tensed, noting that they had gone further into the village. He hoped that Temari and Kankuro had already gotten the other ninja ready.

"You want her so bad?" She grinned under her mask, pushing the little girl to the other woman a few feet away from her. Her hands moved with such speed that neither of the teens could see them. After they were finished, she grabbed the other dagger on her back and slammed them into the ground, "Twin Ice Fang!"

From the spot where each dagger met the ground a flurry of ice and wind sprang forth. Around them the temperature dropped causing the moisture in the air to turn ice shards. The icy storm formed into two separate full bodied dragons. They swirled around each other and roared to the sky before flying off towards the village. Setsuko and Gaara watched as the dragons flew through the sky with such terrifying grace, smashing through buildings and homes as they followed the trail of the three that had left beforehand. Gaara felt his body tense again. He needed to be there protecting his people! A hand placed itself on his shoulder, causing him to look back.

"You can help them by stopping her," Setsuko said as if reading his mind.

He nodded a response and they both turned back to see she was gone.

"Wha…Where did she go?" Before she could even blink, the ground was rumbling and knocking Setsuko to her knees.

Gaara held out a hand to help her up, looking over at the gaping hole in the canyon wall.

She took his hand, following his gaze. "Gaara…"

"That's new." He didn't let go of her hand right away, almost forgetting about it until she cleared her throat. His eyes looked down at their hands and he quickly pulled his away. "We should get going." He didn't wait for her to answer, already making his way inside.

"Wait!" She called after him. Why does he always do that, she asked herself in a pout as she followed him.


	32. Desert Blizzard

**A/N: SPRING BREAK! Finally! Whoo! Still have tons of homework to do...how does that happen? College, why must you try to kill me?! But, since I have a whole week off, I'll be able to write a ton, while still doing all my other stuff.**

**Kinda short chapter, but I never intended this part to be very long anyways. I think the next chapter is pretty long though, or at least I'm hoping it is. I haven't written it yet so I dunno.**

**Enjoy!**

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"Gaara," Setsuko's voice trailed off softly as the two walked through the long tunnel covered in ice.

He didn't say anything, just casted his glance over his shoulder at her which she couldn't notice since she was staring at the ground.

"Don't you think this is all a little to convenient? I mean, following after the assassin that has been giving us the most trouble over the last few months." There was a moment of silence until it was filled with Setsuko coughing.

Gaara stopped to see if she was okay, but almost immediately she waved him off. The two walked in silence with only the sound of Setsuko's heels tapping against the ice. Her blue eyes wandered around the tunnel they were in, admiring the beautiful glow of the ice that covered the walls from top to bottom. Their mystical blue glow reminded her of home. Running her fingers along its smooth surface, she smiled to herself. This ice reminded her of the True Ice back home; its color was exactly the same. It was a deep blue color, not dark but most obviously blue. Taking her eyes away from the nostalgia, she glanced at the back of Gaara's head. He was bathed in the sweet glow of ice causing him to glow as well. It was funny, but when he wasn't looking at you, he looked almost kind. She knew that he was in actuality, but his demeanor spoke many different stories.

Feeling eyes boring into him, he looked back. His green met her blue and actually felt uncomfortable under her gaze. She was looking at him weird. Turning away from her, wondered what she was thinking. Quickly his mind shifted back to the task at hand when they entered a clearing. The entire cave was covered in ice. How had none of them noticed someone tunneling into the canyon? At the far end of the clearing was another tunnel but Gaara felt something stir in the pit of his stomach. Something didn't feel right here. Setsuko was right after all, they were walking into a trap and he knew it. So then it only makes sense that something wouldn't feel right. Wrong. There was a different wrong kind of feeling eating him. He hated it when women were right.

They were crossing the clearing when Setsuko felt something slam against her back. Still learning to walk properly on her feet, she stumbled to her knees as she was pushed into the tunnel in front of them. She looked back in time to see Gaara getting devoured by a dragon made of ice. Trying to scramble to her feet, she was suddenly hit with white hot pain shooting through her leg.

"Gaara!" she screamed, desperately praying that he was alright.

Meroko jumped down from her perch, right in front of the entrance to the tunnel, her back facing Setsuko. "This is just between you and I Ginger," she purred as she placed a hand against the icy wall.

Setsuko's eyes frantically darted around as the entrance was slowly covered by ice, separating the two teens. "No," she whispered, crawling over to the ice. Her hands touched the ice, trying to search for a weak spot but having no luck.

Luckily, he had sensed the approach of the conjured dragon in time to push Setsuko out of the way. It was even luckier that his sand reacted just as quickly to his defense as it encased him, protecting him from the sharpened points of ice shards that dug into his sand. They had been sharpened by chakra to the point that they could dig into his sandy defense, but not penetrate it. He was forced back into the wall by the dragon for a good two minutes before it finally dispersed. He lowered just a fraction of his sand to look at the woman he had come to hate since their first meeting. Thinking back on it, his shoulder gave a tingle from where she pierced his skin. He would most definitely have to repay her for that.

Meroko looked upon the young man that hid away behind his sand. How cute, she thought in amusement. Ever so slowly, as she walked away from the tunnel entrance, she unsheathed her twin daggers, the blue blades glinting under the glow of the ice. Crossing her arms at the wrists right below her eyes, she readied her body for an attack while allowing the playfulness she was known for show in her eyes. She had been waiting for this day almost as soon as she had begun working to kill the Princess. Well, maybe not this day specifically, but the day where she died in general. It was just sad that she didn't get to do it herself.

"Oh, how did I get so lucky?" she murmured as she stared into the death glare he was giving her.

He said nothing as his sand sprung out at her. It snaked its way towards her with such speed that this time she couldn't dodge it in time.

She coughed as she was thrust against the wall. "Someone's a little angry today," she taunted through gritted teeth.

His glared only narrowed, "You're attacking my village. Why wouldn't I be?"

"You mean," her voice was a little strained from the force behind his sand, "The village that once persecuted you? That's laughable." The sand tightened around her causing her to grunt in pain. "By the way…" she paused, slowly looking up at him with her powder blue eyes. "How's that shoulder of yours?"

Gaara felt a tingle in his shoulder when she mentioned it. His head snapped to the side just in time to see an icy dragon barreling its way towards him.

Even though it was more than likely a stupid idea, he released the Ice Dragon to allow his sand to cover the hole made within his defenses. He felt the moment it slammed against his sand shield. The force was almost enough to push him back as the temperature within the sphere dropped. In the darkness of the sand, he could see his breath in small white puffs. This was not a desired battlefield; she clearly had the advantage. That was probably her strategy the entire time, and there was no way he could lure her outside. He was stuck. Gaara heard the roar of another conjured dragon before it slammed against his shield again. It was no use; she was just wasting chakra.

"Sand Drizzle." His voice was barely audible from the confinement of his shield and the hissing of the ice dragons Meroko was creating.

Above the excited assassin a cloud of sand began to form, going unnoticed. "Summoning Jutsu!" her bloody hand slapped the ground, the ice cracking, as a cloud of smoke engulfed her.

As the smoke cleared, a massive white wolf stood beside her, its teeth bearing and drool dripping to the ground. The wolf's fur was as white and the first, purest snow, its teeth seeming to match the white. Although pure looking, it was gruff and tuffs of fur sticking out on each of its joints; a long black scarf wrapped around its neck. Its eyes were as red as blood, almost glowing with the joyful thoughts of hunting and killing. The giant three tails twitched in anticipation as it waited for its master to give them the go ahead. There was a low snarl from the beast as its claws dug into the ice, cracking it further.

"Hazuki," there was a pause as a deviously evil smirk crossed her lips under her mask, "Kill."

The beast howled so loudly that it sounded like a roar. Its body lowered momentarily and then it pounced, jaws wide open and ready to tear its prey to shreds.

Gaara felt his shield shudder as the beast made contact with it. He knew his shield would protect him, but he couldn't keep this up all day.

"What the-" he heard her muffled voice question. She must have finally seen the cloud of sand hanging overhead.

"Sand Bullet." A tiny chunk of his sand broke apart from his shield, compressing itself and hardening. It shot out at blinding speed.

Meroko snapped her head back, just in time to feel something pierce her shoulder and with such force, throw her to the ground. "Ah!" she yelped in pain, clutching her bleeding shoulder.

Looking down at her shoulder, she saw the newly formed hole in her cat suit, blood pouring from it. That little bastard! He was able to actually get a good shot in. Normally she was as alert as a hawk, aware of all her surroundings, but she was just getting so into the idea of slaughtering the red head that it was clouding her judgment. Whipping her head around, she glared at the sphere of sand that her summon was still trying to break through. Fingers curled under the hem of her mask, ripping it off to fully reveal the scowl on her unblemished face. Her long platinum hair fell around her shoulders as her jaw tightened angrily. Ignoring her pain, she jumped back to her feet and ordered her summon to return. There had to be a way for him to lower his shield!

Her eyes glanced around their surroundings. Of course! She was after all surrounded on all sides by ice, as was he. Sheathing her daggers, she sequenced her hand signs before slamming her fists into the cracked ice, "Scars of the King!"

The cave began to rumble causing Gaara's eyes to narrow suspiciously. What was she doing? "What?!" his sand dropped instantly as he jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being impaled. Another jagged ice fragment came jetting for him; he managed to dodge that one.

"Good luck dodging them all," she muttered with a venomous hiss.

His green eyes glanced at the blonde haired assassin and was nearly floored. His feet touched the ground as he stared at her and nearly had a spike slice through his arm. She looks exactly like Setsuko, he thought in shock.

He needed to focus! Ice sliced through his pants, ripping the fabric and barely nicking his thigh. He knew very well that he needed to keep his focus on dodging the alarming amount of icy spikes that hurled themselves towards him, but his mind was on the distraction of the Ice Dragon looking just like the Princess that she was hunting. No, that wasn't entirely true. He stopped momentarily only to have ice bore through the back of his skull. Meroko grinned with disgusting delight seeing the horror etched on his face. The ever shifting terrain stopped and she giddily hoped over to the now dead Kazekage.

"I tried to warn you," she teased and she let her hand play through his red hair. The shock on her own face was sudden when she realized it. "Sand!" she spat vehemently.

In a flurry of sand, Gaara appeared dangerously close behind her. Her body tensed at the impending danger, "Successive Shots: Sand Drizzle." His voice was so calm, so smooth that for a split second she actually thought he wouldn't hurt her.

She screamed as she was flung back by the sheer numbers of the sand volley. The grainy sand ripped at her cat suit and skin, blemishing her once unblemished body. She slid up against the opposite wall in a ragged heap.

Without missing a beat, Gaara walked over to her crumpled form towering over her with arms crossed across his chest. It was then, looking down at her, that he noticed something strange.

"What are you waiting for?" she breathed shakily as she pushed herself onto her arms. On her chest, directly above her heart was a glowing purple symbol for the word 'Slave'.

"What is that?" he stared at the kanji intently, wondering what in the world it meant.

Meroko looked down at her chest. With a tired grin, she ripped the cat suit further, exposing her chest and laughing when she saw Gaara blush. "It's how you kill me."

"Yes, but what _is_ it?" he asked again, emphasizing the wanting of his curiosity.

Pushing herself up a little to sit against the wall, she sighed heavily. "It's a Possession Jutsu." Gaara's brow quirked. "But, why don't you ask what's really on your mind. I saw it in your eyes when you finally saw my face."

He was silent for a moment, mulling over which question he wanted answered more. "Why do you look exactly…No, why does Setsuko look just like you?"

"Because," she sputtered out a chuckle. "I gave birth to her."

Gaara didn't even bother hiding his utter shock at her confession. His arms even uncrossed themselves to fall to his sides. "Then…why?"

A trembling finger came up to the symbol above her heart and tapped on it. "This. Like I said, it's a Possession Jutsu. It allows the caster to embed some of their chakra into the spirit to allow them total control; kind of like a very long range puppet master. It's a very tricky and very old jutsu. It was banned years ago."

"Who's controlling you?" She shook her finger at him, causing him to blink curiously.

"Tut tut, I can't tell you things like that. I'm bound by loyal servitude after all. I've been dead for far too long to care about the living world anymore, so as a soul forced to wander around I do as I please under the specific restrictions set by my master." She sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping a little. She felt tired all over again but knew she wouldn't die. "Pierce right here," she pointed to the symbol, "Sever the kanji and I will die; for good."

"And what about Setsuko?" he asked not bothering to make a move just yet.

She pursed her lips and shrugged. "What about her? She thinks I'm dead, has all her life. Why tell her something that will just break her heart? I mean, you like her enough to at least not do that much right?" Meroko glanced into his green orbs with a sly smile.

Wordlessly, a bullet of sand shot through the kanji, breaking the patterned and breaking the seal. There was a bright flash of light before her body finally slumped over lifeless. Somehow, he felt bad about killing her.


	33. Set Me Free

**A/N: Okay, so I lied. Not as long as I had hoped it would be but you can't force these things. Especially when they're getting interesting. **

**Love ya guys! Enjoy!**

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Setsuko's fingers ran along the ice that separated her from Gaara, feeling the slick watery surface. There was nothing she could do. The ice was far too thick, even if she tried to drill through it with her chakra. Her head hung low for a moment, wishing and praying that Gaara would be alright. Bringing her head up, she shook the thought of him losing from her mind. What was she thinking? His sand made it impossible for people to touch him. Looking at the ice, the images of him and his opponent were too blurry for her to make out either body except for faint outlines. He wouldn't want her help anyways. There was too much pride for him to want her help. Using the ice as leverage, she forced herself to her feet.

Taking on last look over her shoulder, she wished him luck and turned back to the path set ahead of her. Tobari still needed her help. Using nothing but sheer willpower, she pushed through her pain and began walking down the long tunnel. If it hadn't been for the glowing ice, the path would have been too dark for her to even see her hand in front of her face. She wondered just what was waiting for her at the next clearing she found. What assassins would she face this time? The images of thousands upon thousands of paper bombs igniting in her face raced through her mind. Would she meet the one who set all those in place? Setsuko stumbled a little from her leg suddenly buckling; she would have to remind herself to pay them back for the damages.

The echo of a shrill scream snapped Setsuko to attention. Ignoring the throbbing pain that threatened to cripple her she ran down the tunnel; stumbling every few steps. She could see the light ahead of her, blinding her eyes momentarily as they fought to readjust. Stopping quickly, she drew in a sharp breath as she saw a large broad sword with many curved smaller ones at the girl's throat. The smaller curved blades were right at her neck, threatening to behead her if she dare make a move. Setsuko looked upon the one holding the smaller girl captive. There wasn't much she could make out about them other than they were most obviously a woman from the curves she could see.

"Let her go," Setsuko ordered, glaring at the woman.

The hood over her head swayed as she shook her head silently, holding the blade closer to Tobari's throat causing her to whimper in fear.

The man standing beside her looked to his partner and seemed to jerk his head in Setsuko's direction. Was he mentally asking her something? There was a court nod from the woman and he suddenly disappeared.

Quickly Setsuko scanned the area trying to find him, amazed at his speed. She shrieked in surprise and jumped out of the way just in time to doge being sliced in half by a sword. As she slid along the ice, she looked down to notice a clean cut in her shirt. He had still managed to hit her. It wasn't at all surprising really; she still wasn't very good at fighting having only just started going out on mission. Even then, she hadn't gone on many. Now, she didn't even have her weapon anymore. It had been lost in the explosion and still hadn't been found. Again she shrieked as she scrambled out of the way of another sweep of his blade.

She tried to get up from the ground. To try and defend herself with anything that was nearby, but it was useless. She had nothing and there was nothing. Putting weight on her right leg, she winced in pain and flopped back to the ground clutching the bandaged leg as a burning sensation pulsed through it. Her eyes shot up when she noticed the man disappear and charge towards her. He was so fast that she didn't even have time to bring her arms up to try and stop him. Glassy blue eyes shot wide open as they stared at the sharpened edge of the blade that hung mere inches from her face. She could hear nothing but her pulse in her ears and feel her heart trying to jump out of her chest. Trying to look into his eyes, she found it impossible because of the hood obscuring most of his face; but he could see her clearly.

"Ah hell!" he sighed as he dropped the sword to his side.

Her big eyes blinked quizzically at his sudden relaxation.

He rubbed the back of his head with the hand that held his sword, "I can't hurt you Princess. I love those shimmering blue eyes too much."

Whatever color she had seemed to drain away from her face as her eyes strained the elasticity of her skin. Impossible! "…Wh-who…" She couldn't even finish her sentence.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled the hood away from his face. Messy black hair sprang free and deep sapphire blue eyes stared back at her. He gave her a goofy grin, "Yeah, it's me," he said as if reading her mind.

Her body trembled so violently that she thought she might make herself dizzy. It was impossible! He was supposed to be dead! However, as her eyes stared at him unable to break way, she knew it was most definitely him. From that unruly black hair that ran every direction, to those sapphire eyes that always seemed to be so full of radiant confidence, and to that dumb smile he always flashed everyone he knew. Somehow, her body got up from the ground and made its way over to him. She had no idea how it happened, her mind was too stunned to bother with working out the mechanics of her body right now. Her hands shakily reached up to touch his face. He was so cold.

Setsuko's mouth opened and closed many times, trying to find the words to speak. Nothing came out.

He chuckled at her touch and shock, "Glad to see you haven't changed since leaving home."

"M-Ma-Maki…?" was all her voice could gasp out.

"Yeah," he nodded sheepishly, dropping his sword and gripping her hand within his. "I missed you Setsuko." His features softened, gazing lovingly into the eyes of the woman he had wanted to hold since the moment she left Aisugakure.

Her face contorted into one of sadness and relief at the same time. Tears sprang from her eyes instantly and she embraced him without a second thought. The kiss they shared was long and full of unsaid passion, longing and love. Her nimble fingers tangled themselves in his hair as his arms snaked themselves around her waist. He was so cold. It was as if all thoughts of everything else faded from her mind as she was left dangling in his embrace once again. Purely at his mercy, she was okay with never leaving his side if it meant them being together forever. She had missed him so much! There was so much she wanted to say to him, but all words left her. The only thing she could do to express her joy at him being here in front of her, alive, was to kiss him. He was so cold though.

They parted and she rested her head against his chest, smiling softly. "I'm so happy you're alright."

He was quiet as he wrapped his arms around her tightly, petting the back of her head.

"Why would you claim to have died?" she asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"Hui and I were being targeted. If we let them think we were gone then we could come warn you," he said stilling petting her head.

Her eyes shifted as she processed his words. Something, didn't make sense. "But then…why are you working with them?" Her body gave a sudden jerk, her eyes as wide as they could go.

Maki released her enough to be at arms length from her, staring into her shocked eyes. "Don't worry Setsuko. You can be with me soon enough."

She could feel the muscles in her jaw twitching as it felt open. Slowly she looked down to see a dagger embedded into her abdomen. Right between the cut her made in her shirt only moments ago she could see crimson spilling over his hand and mudding her shirt. Searing pain coursed through her and she cried out as her face contorted to match the feeling paralyzing her body. A cough sputtered from her mouth, drizzling her lips in blood. She cried out again as her body jerked when he tore the dagger from her body. Wrapping her hands around the gaping wound, Setsuko crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap, her blood pooling around her.

_Setsuko_

That damnable voice again! She was starting to feel so heavy. So cold. Her half lidded eyes blinked rapidly, desperately trying to stay open. What did that voice want from her now?

_You're going to die_

She knew that much. It was painfully obvious that death was about to take her. It was so close she could see the faintest of lights. Her body shivered. She was never affected by cold so why was she suddenly feeling so much of it? No! She didn't want to die! Her eyes shut tight. She wanted to grow old, have a family, protect people, be the best ninja she could be, make lasting friends. She wanted to have that happy, normal life that always eluded her.

_Let me take over_

Her bloody lips were unable to form words. It wanted control? Could she trust it? What choice did she have at this point? It was either agree or die. Painstakingly she gave a single nod. Almost instantly her eyes shot back open, full of new life. Placing a bloodied hand on the ice beneath her, she began to slowly twist her body to get up. The red plasma seeping from her wound suddenly stopped, solidifying into beautifully cold ice in the shape of the wound. Its garnet color contrasted the topaz around them. With tired grace she got to her feet, head hung at such an angle that allowed her hair to cover her face. At her feet an icy fog began to roll through the clearing as if her low body heat was fighting with the desert air.

Maki looked at her, still clutching the stained weapon in his hand. This wasn't the same woman he knew. She was a drastic change from the formal, stubborn girl he knew. The mere aura around her screamed death and anger. Her hand slowly stretched out to her side and he watched as a sickle formed from ice, one that was far larger than her own body. Only once it was fully formed did she finally look up, causing him to take a step back in fear. He had never seen such a demonic look from her before. In fact, he didn't even know she knew how to make such a look.

She pointed the icy sickle at him, silently telling him that he was her target. That she would strike him down. Picking up his sword, he waited for the attack he knew would come. Throwing the weapon back, she leapt forward with such speed that he almost didn't have enough time to recover from his surprise before the sparks from their weapons clashing filled the room. Looking into her eyes whenever they came together, he could see nothing behind the glow they held. They were narrowed and focused on nothing but the idea of her slaying him. As the two pushed away from each other, a crack of lightning struck Setsuko.

When the smoke cleared from it striking the ice around her, her head was snapped to the side with ice covering the side of her face where it had hit. Slowly the ice faded away in the shape of small hexagonal patterns and her eyes glanced over angrily at the woman holding a spear pointed towards her. Her long white hair was exposed in that haphazard ponytail. The sight of purple and gold made Setsuko smirk deviously. Her grip on the sickle tightened as she turned to face the two, all three of them holding their weapons at the ready. Setsuko was the first to make a move. Her arms rose above her head and the fog that surrounded them began to swirling violently at their feet.

Opening her jaw, an otherworldly screech erupted from the depths of her throat as the barely noticeable wind within the cave raged in a gust of ice. Shards of ice formed into such thin points that they shot cleanly through the deep walls of the cavern. Just how far they went was unknown though. Both Maki and Hui covered their faces from the onslaught of icy needles ripping through their bodies. As her arms dropped the wind continued to rage and she brought the weapon back. She didn't have the time to fight both of them and thus had to end it quickly. Her time was already almost up.

With one single, clean sweep of her sickle she would free them from their burdens. Yet, as she was launching herself at them, she took notice of glowing kanji. Maki had one above his heart, but she couldn't see Hui's. Her eyes narrowed into dangerous slits; she knew the jutsu being used on them. Vanishing from their sight, she saw the one on the back of Hui's neck. Although she knew Setsuko would grieve for many days to come, she had no choice. Heaving the weapon back, she severed the kanji that was bound to Hui and she heard Setsuko scream within her mind. It caused her to falter for but a moment before she directed an ice needle into Maki's heart. There were two flashes of light before their bodies dropped.

Setsuko would never forgive her. The storm ebbed into nothing and the ice made sickle shattered as she dropped to her knees. Tears hit the ice beneath her, her body trembling. The ice that had frozen her wound shut began to melt away, opening once again. Her face twisted in pain. Soon her eyes were staring at the necklace she had given Tobari. Glassy blue eyes looked up, puffy and red, to the little girl that was now standing before her. She smiled down at Setsuko, scratches and bruises on her face.

"I think, you need this more than I do," she said as she looked into the broken eyes of the Princess.

Her eyes fluttered down to the jewelry in her hand and shook her head. A pale hand curled around Tobari's, pushing the necklace towards her, "No. It's yours." Clutching her stomach, she stumbled to her feet, "Come on, let's go find Lord Kazekage."

Setsuko gripped Tobari's hand and the two made their way back to the tunnel she had come from. Hopefully, Gaara was finished with his fight and the giant block of ice had been shattered so they could get out. Her hand pressed against the bloody wound in her stomach. She had high doubts she would survive looking for an alternate exit. In the longest silence of her life, Setsuko stumbled through the tunnel, pushing herself onward just so she could save the little girl clutching her hand as if it were a life line. The echo of footsteps caused both girls to freeze where they stood.

"Lord Kazekage!" Tobari called frantically as she let go of Setsuko's hand and ran for the young man. "Hurry!" she shouted, grabbing his hand. "She's hurt."

Gaara was a little surprised when he saw that little girl from the playground running up to him. He was even more surprised when she grabbed his hand and began dragging him down the tunnel. When he saw the dripping wound from her abdomen, he no longer needed Tobari to drag him; he was running at full speed to her side. She was still walking towards them as if on autopilot. Her eyes were nearly closed, clouded over and dull. Her steps were slow and wavering with each new one she took. Gaara managed to catch her just before she toppled over.

"Setsuko…" his spicy breath hit her death cold skin and she looked up at him.

She barely had the strength to wave her hand at him. "No…No, I-I'm fine…" she coughed, blood splattering beside him. She tried to push away from him but instantly fell against him when crippling pain coursed through her. "Gaara…" her voice strained, "I don't want to die."

With that simple sentence he was whisking her away from the cavern and back out into the daylight with Tobari hot on his heels. He would not let her die but even he knew that something major must have been hit if she were bleeding this much. When the three stepped into the light they were met with a shocking scene. Much of the village had been decimated. Buildings crumbled to rubble, civilians lay in the streets, shinobi flickered in and out of view as they fought and rushed to save innocent people. His village. His people! Setsuko looked out at the war torn scene from the corner of her half lidded eyes and felt shame and guilt for bringing this upon Gaara and his village. She felt his grip tighten around her before they were on the move again. Even though she was responsible for so many innocent lives being lost, he was still determined to help her?

Gaara kicked down a hospital door and set her in a bed, grabbing the nearest medic and ordering him to save her. He turned and asked Tobari to keep an eye on her while he went out to save their village. The little girl nodded with serious eyes. Neither of them noticed the gray eyes watching them.


	34. To Be A Sibling

**A/N: Finally! I finished this yesterday but kept getting an error message whenever I tried to upload it. I've been getting crap like that happening a lot the last couple of days. It's a real pain when you're trying to turn in homework and either the uploader doesn't work or you get error messages.**

**So this chapter is a little longer. I'm sorry if some of it might seem forced or something, I did kind of force myself to work through one of the fights So bare with it because it gets better, in my opinion.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Temari and Kankuro held a meeting with all available shinobi, telling them of the possible situation they would face. Each one was on standby and not to receive any further missions until the issue was resolved. And just like that, as they were calling the meeting to an end with the hopes that Gaara would take care of it all, they felt a rumble tear through the village. A roar caught all of them by surprise and they hastily made their way outside. The Sand Siblings appeared on the roof of the Kazekage building and looked both shocked and nervous as they saw the two icy dragons bursting through buildings like they were nothing.

"Wind Release: Current Cutter!" Temari was just barely able to dodge the foot that came slamming down into the roof of the building, caving it in. However, she was thrown into the building opposite the Kazekage building; her back smashing against the railing of the roof and tumbling back.

"Temari!" Kankuro called in astonishment as he had seen her dodge the attack. The woman didn't stay long as she winked at the puppet master and followed after his sister.

He would have followed after her if it weren't for the appearance of a biker kid in front of him. "Sorry man, she has a bone to pick with the blonde." The man shrugged casually as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. The young man's green hair ruffled to the ominous desert wind as they stared each other down.

Kankuro tore the puppet from his back, holding it beside him as he got ready for an attack. He felt on edge but it surprisingly wasn't from the dragons tearing through their village. This guy standing before him, he seemed to calm. He had a lazy, unassuming stance about him. While his head was turned up to the clear blue sky, his blue irises glided along his black sclera to look directly into Kankuro's brown eyes. How could someone be so calm? That was a stupid question. The puppet master watched as the guy's shoulders drew up and then fell back down with the large breath he breathed.

"This is a pain in the ass," he sighed as he dropped his head, looking down at his feet momentarily. "I would have much preferred to just sit and play chess. Even though Seira is a raging bitch with practically no skill, she's still fun to play against."

"Heh, I know all about bitchy women," Kankuro piped up with a chuckle, an image of Temari floating around his brain.

His blue eyes floated over to Kankuro's form, green hair fluttering in the uneasy wind. "They're a pain to be around yet still make everyday life interesting, am I right?" An amused smirk tugged at his lips as he spoke.

It was so sudden when it happened that the only thing Kankuro could do was blink. He felt the burning sting in his cheek and the tickle of liquid sliding down his face. Bringing up a gloved hand he touched his cheek. Blood. What had just happened? His brown eyes looked into the blue ones of his enemy; he looked to be smirking but otherwise hadn't moved. Then what had cut him? Kankuro let his gaze wander away from the green haired man and was shocked to see a shuriken a foot behind him, embedded into the roof and electricity sparking around it. He had thrown a shuriken with such speed that he didn't even see it!

Kankuro whipped his head around to look at the now sheepishly grinning young man. Who was this guy? The unnerving sound of his jacket billowing around his toned body caused Kankuro to bite into his cheek. He watched as the man slowly pulled a handful of kunai free from his belt and set them all ablaze with lightning. It arched and buzzed off each metal knife like the cackle of evil. The puppet master felt the hairs on his body stand on edge from the static in the air. This nervous feeling churning in his stomach was causing him to feel fear, something that wasn't normal for the middle sibling.

The lightning cracked and hissed with brilliant light and he reached back and threw them. Kankuro dodged each and every one of them, wondering to himself how he was missing every shot. He felt the sting of their pure fire as they whizzed past his face. Even though the throws were erratic he still had trouble dodging them. It wasn't until the last one was thrown that he had the confidence to mock the guy.

"You're aiming is terrible. There's not a scratch on me." Kankuro smirked confidently.

The young man stuffed his hands into his pockets with a sigh. "Who in the world said I was aiming for you?" Lazily he glanced over at Kankuro who was looking at him with confusion plastered on his face.

"Huh?" Kankuro looked around and noticed that each of the kunai was set in a circle around him, sparking with elemental energy.

"Lightning Release: Shock Treatment!" his hands slammed together causing the lightning around each kunai to erupt into a cage of light. It arched into a point above Kankuro's head before crashing down on him.

Kankuro wailed and winced in pain as electricity coursed through his body. It felt like millions of needles digging into his skin all at once. He felt his blood boil and his muscles spasm. The smell of burning skin and clothes was the only thing that filled his sense of smell as he dropped to his knees. The swirling feeling of microshocks seared his flesh in burning pain, leaving behind little trails of zig-zag scars. His skin began to peel away as the currents ran through him; the young man opposite him arching his brow in mild surprise. Blue over black watched as the once burning ninja turned into a wooden puppet with long limbs and face, and a shaggy mop top for hair.

"Damn puppets," he muttered in annoyance. His eyes scanned around until he felt a blade cut into his arm. Grabbing at his right arm, his corresponding eye closed and he winced in pain.

"I wouldn't move too much if I were you," Kankuro's taunting voice said from behind.

He whipped around, shaking off the pain almost instantly but felt something else. His eyes widened when he felt an unfamiliar beat of his heart, dropping to his knees, "What…what is this?"

Kankuro lightly tugged on the chakra string attached to his index finger, bringing the puppet arm back to him; a blade sticking out from one of the joints. "It was actually beneficial nearly dying from Sasori's poison. I learned about not only his poison, but how to improve upon it."

"What-" he cut himself off when the pain in his arm became worse. Looking over at it, the skin around the cut was turning black.

"Sasori's poison could kill a man in three days; a very painful three days. Mine…" he paused to give a lighthearted chuckle. "Mine will kill you in a matter of hours. Best I could do really with Granny Chiyo gone."

* * *

Temari groaned as she slowly go on all fours. Her back was killing her! The thundering sound of her massive fan dropping beside her caused her head to start pounding in agony. She barely had time to gain her bearings before another blow from the chakra infused wind slammed against her. The force sent her sliding along the roof and hitting the railing opposite from her. Looking up with pained teal eyes, she watched the heels come towards her, a bounce in their step. Taking her sight further, she noted the malicious, bloodthirsty intent behind the eyes of fire that stared down at her. So far, this woman had the upper hand. Her wind was able to strike even if it didn't make contact with its target.

"I do so enjoy my job," the woman sighed happily as she placed her hands on her hips. "I get to beat the shit out of girls like you and make money doing it."

Girls like her? What exactly did she mean by that? Temari's hand moved over her fan slowly. "Heh, and what kind of girl do you think I am?" Her words were strained, the throbbing pain in her back causing more trouble than she originally thought.

Her burning eyes glared down as she slammed her foot onto Temari's hand, smiling sadistically as she heard her wails. "Girls who think they're so high and mighty because of the people they know or the statuses people give them." She bent down to look Temari directly in the eye, a scowl on her face, "Bitches like you disgust me."

Temari smirked, "That's one bad mouth you have." She felt her fingers pop as she gripped the metal fan. "Let me fix that!" She forced the woman back as she jumped to her feet, fan unfolding in the process.

The gust of wind that was sent at the woman would have normally blown her off the very roof they stood. Yet, Temari clenched her teeth seeing that she barely even moved. Her annoying smirk was getting on Temari's nerves. The most her attack had done was rip at her jacket and tousle her hair; otherwise she looked unharmed. Dammit, she thought angrily. What was she going to do if her attacks had barely any effect on her? She felt her insides twist at the thought of them losing this battle; this battle she didn't even realize they were going to have until it already started. Her eyes flickered over to see that Kankuro looked as if he had won his fight.

Seeing Temari looking away from her, Seira glanced to see that her partner Tao had lost his fight. What an idiot, she growled to herself. Her eyes caught sight of his still ionized kunai and a devious smirk tugged at her lips. Turning back to the blonde, she began slowly removing her jacket, that smirk never leaving her face. She watched the hesitation in her opponent's face as she watched with vigilance at every move she made. Seira would make them all suffer for killing Tao. She hated that no good, lazy, annoying piece of trash, but he was still her partner. This act was unforgivable.

"Ya know, I was chosen for a very specific reason," she began, her tone casual.

Temari arched a brow, "Chosen for what?"

"This. Being apart of this specific team of assassins." Her jacket hung at her side lazily as she shifted her weight to her right leg. Her bare shoulders rolled back as she stretched out her body. Lightning began to crackle along her skin causing Temari's eyes to widen a little. "See I'm a Kekkei Genkai user, I just prefer to use Wind Release. It's more my style."

"Shit…" Temari muttered ducking behind her fan as a whip of lightning struck out at her.

"Storm Release…" the lightning and wind around Seira began to rage out of control suddenly, her long hair whipping around her wildly. "Ion Hail!"

Temari cried out as electrified kunai rained down on her. Each one that stabbed at her body sent a current of electricity through her. A wild look appeared in Seira's eyes as her ears picked up the pained howls. With her body still releasing mass amounts of lightning, she walked over to Temari's fan, peering behind it to see her mangled corpse. She was shocked to see nothing but a log sitting in her body's place. With an angry roar, she slammed her fist into the log completely splintering it. As her body stood back up to go looking for the annoying wind user, a kunai was being driven into her back.

Whipping her head around, pure hatred burning in her fire colored eyes, she saw Temari glaring back at her trying to shove the weapon into her back. Releasing more chakra and using the lightning as a barrier, she electrocuted Temari with the kunai acting as a conduit. Her piercing cries brought delight to her ears, licking her lips. Seira grabbed Temari by the collar of her tattered kimono, their faces coming close. She would take so much delight in electrocuting this bitch until she was a fired heap of flesh. Bringing a crackling hand up, she was about to slam her fist into the blonde's face.

Seira screamed in utter agony as she was electrocuted. Her smoking body let go of Temari and fell to a crumpled mess onto the rooftop. Slowly, Temari opened her eyes to see Kankuro's feet standing in front of her. "Kan…kuro…" she breathed.

"Relax Temari, I got that bitch," he soothed, kneeling down beside her and slowly helping his older sister to her knees. Wrapping her arm around his shoulder, he hoisted her to her feet, both of them looking out at the village.

So many homes and building were nothing but piles of rubble now. The ice dragons had disappeared long ago, but the damage was done. They had flown threw nearly everything and frozen many people. Their icy breath mixed with the raging heat of the desert had caused whatever was frozen to shatter instantly. Both siblings felt a damaging wind blow around them and both allowed beads of sweat to roll down their faces. They could still hear the sound of metal on metal and feel the occasional rumble from the ground. This fight still wasn't over but could they take the one that was still left? Both siblings knew that their last opponent would be more dangerous then the two they had fought. And what of Gaara and Setsuko? Were they alright? Had they survived their encounter?

Their thoughts were instantly back to the matter at hand when a giant towering golem stood over them. Both siblings looked up at it in terrified awe. To create something that big meant that its creator had a massive amount of chakra! The earth made golem raised its hand and, with glowing yellow eyes, slammed its enormous hand down on the building the siblings were on. Both were able to avoid the crushing damage of the attack, but the building didn't stand a chance as it crumbled like paper under the weight of its hand.

"How are we supposed to fight something that big?!" Temari shouted as the backlash gust of wind blew at them. The golem itself was large enough to look as if it blocked out the sun, covering the Sand Village in a disturbingly ominous shadow.

Kankuro bit into his lip with such force that blood slid down his chin. "We need to find the caster." The puppet master looked around, "Matsuri!"

The young sand kunoichi ran to his side the moment she heard him call her name, "What is it Kankuro sir?"

"Start rounding up survivors and get them out of here," he commanded as he stood with Temari still slung over his shoulder. She gave a hard nod and ran off.

"You think we'll die?" Temari murmured as she and her brother looked up at the golem.

"Probably," he replied coolly.

Temari pushed off her brother, picking up her fan, "Alright then. I like those odds." Both siblings gave each other a nod and disappeared.

* * *

Lying in the hospital bed Gaara had put her in, Setsuko slept in a medically induced coma. The only sounds made in the entire room were the sounds of beeping from her heart monitor and the occasional drip from the medicine. Even with the war raging on just outside her hospital room window, she didn't stir. She was too lost in her attempts to fight through the death that wished to grip her tight. At every turn within her mind, the light tried to beckon her towards it and every time it was getting harder to refuse.

The door to her room slid open silently, gray eyes resting upon the unconscious form in the bed. Walking up to her form, the imposing figure sat on the side of her bed as their hands hovered at either side of her head. Slowly, taking their index fingers, they drove them deep into her skull causing her face to contort in pain. She struggled against their invasion, whimpering and crying in pain as their fingers drove deeper and deeper into her skull. Placing their thumbs against her forehead, just above her eyes, small glowing lights appeared around each thumb.

"Seal of Ten Phantoms," their voice whispered.

Setsuko's body was enveloped in a soft white glow, the sound of her heart monitor slowly increasing. The figure released her head and left the room quickly, just as the door was closing her eyes flashed open. Almost instantly, the Princess was screaming bloody murder as she sat up in the bed clutching her head. Pulling out clumps of hair, she screamed and cried as the block of ice in her mind completely shattered. She could see everything so clearly in her mind, the way the giant bird ruffled its feathers the moment it was freed, the howl of the raging storm slamming against her mind and the terrifying gaze given to her as their eyes locked. Setsuko felt her breath hitch as the looked upon the glowing blue orbs that stared back at her, falling off the bed as she continued to scream in agony.

Every needle ripped itself out as she crawled away from the bed, using the window sill for support. The pain being too much for the teen, she gripped at her head and curled into a ball, crying. Her toes curled as she felt another mind splitting wave of pain come over her, screaming along with the screeching the bird was doing. She knew everything it was screaming, she could understand it. It wanted to be free. It wanted to spread its wings and soar in the sky again. It wanted to freeze the world. A snow storm suddenly erupted around her as she curled up tighter, feeling herself about ready to break in half.

She wanted to find Gaara. Maybe he could help her since he was a former Jinchuriki. Maybe he knew of a way to help her reseal the demon within her. No, it wasn't just that she wanted to find him. She _needed_ to find him! It was so painfully obvious to her what was going to happen. Her hand shakily gripped the window sill; the room already frozen over from the storm that wouldn't stop. With trembling legs, she slowly made her way out of the hospital, people being blown back from the winds blowing around her and the ground freezing with each icy step.

* * *

"Gaara?" Temari and Kankuro looked at the back of their baby brother as he stood face to face with a rather large man.

The shirtless man standing in front of Gaara had many scratches littering his upper torso, but nothing was life threatening. His breathing was still even, showing that he wasn't even feeling the strain of making a giant earth golem and fighting against the Kazekage. Gaara stood with his back facing his siblings, shoulders only slightly heaving as if he were just starting to feel strain. He wasn't the same as he used to be after all. No longer did he have the reserves of chakra he did when Shukaku was sealed within him.

His siblings came up beside him, both at the ready to help him. Normally they knew he would have denied their help, he usually did. But this time, there were no objections or questions. He readily welcomed their help. The man before them popped a few joints in anticipation of their eventual onslaught. Kankuro looked over at his siblings who looked back at him. He gave them a silent nod, to which the other two returned.

Temari slid her fan open, "Dust Wind Technique!" With a mighty wave of her fan, she created a massive gust of wind and sand at the man.

As he covered his eyes to shield them from the sand, "Desert Hand." Gaara closed his hand, a large hand made of sand wrapped itself around the man's body.

"Black Secret Technique Machine One Shot!" twitching his fingers, Kankuro controlled the body of his Black Ant and Crow puppets. Black Ant trapped the man inside, latching shut, and Crow separated into eight parts. Each blade slipped into the slots provided by Black Ant.

"Summoning: Quick Beheading Dance!" Temari shouted as she swung her blood covered fan again. Her summon, Kamatari appeared, riding the strong currents of wind created by her fan; shredding everything in its path.

"Ultimate Hard Absolute Attack: Spear of Shukaku!" Gaara held out his hand as the hardest materials from the ground formed a halberd in his hand in the shape of Shukaku's hand. Following Temari's summon, he thrust it at their opponent.

Kankuro ripped his puppets away at the last second, as Kamatari made contact with the burly man. His body already covered in open wounds from the poisonous knives that pierced his skin. The sickle carrying weasel slammed into him, tearing up his muscle bound body further with the power of its wind behind it. Right after he had carried the man several meters away, the spear created by Gaara dug itself into the man's chest cavity. Once the attacks made contact with the man, they heard the shattering of his massive golem telling them they had killed him.


End file.
